


Evil Nobility

by QuiltedRose49



Category: Hellsing, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Gen, Says explicit for mature but it’s for violence only
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-08-02 19:17:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16311122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuiltedRose49/pseuds/QuiltedRose49
Summary: Events and crimes with no rational explanation occurring throughout England, Scotland Yard unable to resolve the incidents, and subjects of the crown disappearing everyday, what is the Queen to do in the wake of these tragedies? Perhaps she could introduce her Watchdog to her new Hellsing Organization.





	1. The Summons

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I am new to Ao3 so I apologize if there’s anything formatted incorrectly (Somebody drop a hint for clueless me on breaks in the text so that its not one endless column please). I don’t own any characters from Hellsing, Kuroshitsuji, or Dracula. Happy Reading!

The envelope was pristine in the early morning light. The crimson seal stood out like a blood spatter against the ivory surface, giving the royal insignia a morbid air. Abraham sighed as he contemplated the crisp letter set primly on his desk, his pleasant day gone before it had truly begun.

Letters from the Queen had very quickly become something to be dreaded as of late. Their contents were either invitations to decadent balls or a request to investigate things of a… disturbing nature. The disturbing incidents Abraham was more than capable of putting up with, unhappy as they were, but the balls? He cringed. He did not enjoy hours of useless frivolities while being forced to maintain a courteous demeanor, dancing around the back-handed remarks, the condescending looks, and the game of advancement in social standing that the nobles so loved to play.

The only reason he put up with the nauseating affairs was because he needed allies. Allies with power and influence, able to help him gain resources or to be a resource to draw from. The Queen knew this as well, and so sent him invitations to help him along. It had not worked thus far. Oh, he had contacts here and there, but no real staunch support. The upperclassmen simply could not stand him. In their eyes he was an unknown element, lesser than, a commoner who had, by some short-lived stroke of luck, gained the Queen's favor. At best, he was an amusement; at worst, a pebble in a shoe.

A firm rap on his office door roused Abraham from his thoughts. "Enter."

A butler stepped in with a tray of breakfast in his hands. Abraham greeted the butler absentmindedly as he reached for his letter opener. The envelope was opened, letter extricated, and a frown furrowed Abraham's face. The butler set the tray to the side and addressed Abraham.

"Will there be anything else, sir?" Abraham did not respond, but his face slackened in surprise as his eyes scanned the letter.

"Sir? Is everything alright?"

Abraham blinked as the butler's words broke through his concentration. He threw a glance at the great clock standing against a wall of his office. The time read 9:30 a.m.

"Yes, everything is fine. It would seem that I need a carriage prepared by eleven o'clock. I'm to have lunch with a certain noble of high standing." The corners of Abraham's mouth crinkled in amusement as the butler started and whipped his head about to see the clock. The butlers had an hour and a half to prepare a horse and carriage, help his master through the morning routine, have him properly dressed, and travel to wherever they were to meet. Recovering himself as he turned back to Abraham, the butler bowed.

"I shall see to the preparations straight away, sir. Who and where are you meeting?"

"The Earl of Phantomhive at the Phantomhive Estate." The butler blinked, the only outward sign of his inner distress, for it would take the carriage a good forty minutes to travel to that estate and that was in fair weather. It had rained in the wee hours before dawn and the roads were in a deplorable state…

"Alucard will be accompanying me as well." Abraham added with a note of false cheer, cutting across whatever else the butler was worrying about. The butler went white as a sheet.

***

Earl Ciel Phantomhive sighed and tossed the letter he had been reading onto his desk. So, the Queen had arranged a lunch date for him, eh? With his play date being a man whom he had heard only whispers of. Abraham Van Hellsing.

A foreigner, if the name was anything to go by. Those whispers also said that he was not born into wealth, but that wealth was gained in most part by the Queen's favor. That she sent him on special missions that Scotland Yard wasn't authorized (or more likely, too incompetent) to handle. The faintest whispers said that these incidents were of an occult nature.

That final ghost of a rumor, dismissed and ridiculed as it was, grated on Ciel's nerves the most. He was the Queen's Watchdog, the scourge of London's underworld, and the occult had quite the black nest within it. He felt somewhat resentful (not jealous, no jealousy) of the fact that someone (some commoner no less!) was encroaching on his territory, catching his prey.

"Sebastian." Ciel's voice cuts through the still air of the empty office.

"Young Master." A butler clothed in black acknowledged, stepping forth from Nowhere.

Ciel plucked the letter up from the desk and motioned for Sebastian to take it.

"The Queen has declared we entertain a certain Abraham Van Hellsing of the Hellsing Organization. We are to be… "allies" in a case she has delegated to us both." Ciel said, his tone unreadable as he watched his butler's expression. Sebastian's cool gaze swept across the refined calligraphy, and then landed on his master.  
"The Hellsing Organization?" Sebastian inquired, a single eyebrow raised speculatively, "I don't recall ever hearing of such an organization… I wonder what this Van Hellsing intends to bring to demonstrate his work?"

Ciel scoffed "I don't much care. If Mr. Van Hellsing proves to be a rat rather than an ally, we will be obligated to exterminate him. It wouldn't do for the Queen's Watchdog to allow someone undeserving to take advantage of Her Majesty's charity."

"No, indeed not," Sebastian mused, "However, what if he proves himself to be worthy of the Queen's attentions? Or, dare I say it, an ally to you?"

Ciel aimed a dark look at his butler.

"Oh my, don't tell me you would be…jealous? Like a little dog?" Sebastian all but purred, a spark of amusement dancing in his eyes. Ciel swallowed a scathing retort, and allowed an innocent smile to brighten his features.

"Should that come to pass, Sebastian, I hope that Mr. Van Hellsing enjoys playing games."

Most people would have thought the small smile adorning Sebastian's face to be courteous and polite. Ciel knew better, and his innocent grin shifted to match Sebastian's pleased, predatory smirk.

"Be sure to grant him with the best service the Phantomhive Estate can offer, Sebastian." The butler bowed low, still smirking, and if Ciel noticed a wicked gleam of crimson in Sebastian's brown eyes he didn't comment on it.

"Yes my lord." The butler straightened and exited with a snap of his black coattails.


	2. In Route

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Hellsing, Kuroshitsuji, or Dracula just the plot and OC’s. Happy Reading!

Mornings in London were fast moving scenes. The city was a virtual bee hive, as citizens roused themselves from their night of rest and set to work. Shops were opened, the marketplace was filled with the calls and sales pitches of stand workers, and newspaper boys patrolled their streets proclaiming news of the most intriguing nature to passersby. A policeman could be seen every once and while, surveying the streets with keen eyes. Despite the subtle signs of poverty in the guise of grubby packs of children and beggars dotting the street here and there, the city teemed with an overall persistent cheer on most days.

This wasn't most days. A mother grumbled under her breath as a milkman she had never met before delivered her milk bottles late, and apologized that some recent absences had forced a rotation to unfamiliar routes. No, the milkman didn't know if the rotations would be set to rights when the absentees returned.

A group of gentlemen exited a café, their morning meeting disrupted by a missing leader. Imagine that! Setting up an appointment with your own club than missing it without calling ahead or providing an excuse? If this was a prank of sorts, it was in very poor taste!

A child stuffed his pocket money back into his trousers with a pout, and turned away from a sweet shop that was closed, and, though no one knew this yet, would never open again.

Despite these seemingly minor disturbances, London continued its business as usual, and, if employees asked to leave well before sundown, employers didn't refuse. If certain shops decided to begin closing an hour before evening, no one batted an eye.

If London's cheer was a façade masking its growing turmoil… well, no one commented on that either.

***

A terrified shriek cut through the dank air of the dungeon levels and Abraham felt a headache building in his temples. His pace quickened when a snarl rumbled in the dying wake of the shout, and he rounded the corner just in time to see one of his men tossed out into the corridor like a ragdoll. Abraham rushed forward to check him, pushing past the group of soldiers that had formed around the fallen man. Moisture seeped into his pant legs as he kneeled down on the cold flagstones, but he pushed the mild discomfort aside in favor of concentrating on the motionless figure.

He breathed a sigh of relief as a quick examination revealed that the man was merely unconscious, and would most likely wake to a splitting headache and an impressive array of bruises. He picked himself up from the ground and began reassuring the gathered men, only to realize that a part of their worry was fueled by a persistent growl emanating throughout the hallway. 

The sound was so deep it was nearly inaudible, filled with malice, and the air seemed to grow heavier with dread. Abraham felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He whirled around to face the doorway that his employee had been flung from.

"Enough!" He snapped, ignoring the instinctual scream of flee! racing through his mind.

The rumbling growl cut off abruptly, leaving a silence that choked the senses. Abraham motioned for the men to take away the unconscious man. He then started toward the door that yawned open before him with a deep, impenetrable blackness. As he stepped across the threshold, the unnatural shadows receded to make way for him, hissing and whispering as they did so. Two red orbs of light appeared in the most heavily shadowed corner, their brightness pierced by obsidian slit-pupils.

"Are you finished behaving like a child now? You know, I contemplated the idea of allowing you your coffin to rest in as we travel, but since you seem to feel so restless and energetic I think I'll forgo having the staff load it into the carriage." There was a mocking lilt to Abraham's words, and the blazing eyes narrowed with searing hatred.

"Furthermore, since your little tantrum has made us tardy, your blood supply will be diminished for the rest of the week," The baleful gaze flared, but its owner stifled any noise of protest in its throat, "Now come and put some proper clothes on, rather than that manifested attire. The carriage is waiting and I'm beginning to run out of patience." Abraham's face bore a pleasant expression as he spoke, but his voice was hard and unyielding.

He turned and exited the dreary cell with the air of a man who had no doubts as to whether his commands would be followed. And with a discontent hiss, Abraham was indeed grudgingly obeyed.

***

The journey to the Phantomhive Estate had been fairly relaxed. That is, if one could ignore being jolted and bounced around inside the carriage over every pothole left by the early morning rain, as said carriage moved as fast as possible without incurring damage, and if one could also ignore the grumpy vampire growling and sulking in the corner of the carriage, with a certain Abraham Van Hellsing reprimanding it every five minutes for its irritating behavior. Other than that, things went quite smoothly.

Needless to say, the horse, driver, carriage, Van Hellsing, and the frustrated monster were immensely relieved when the Phantomhive Estate loomed into view. Abraham's eyes roved over the stately manor, drinking in the tasteful architecture, the lush, green lawn, and the numerous, neatly cut hedges.

Alucard, too, craned his neck slightly to eye the structure. He supposed it was suitable housing to nobility. For the English anyway. He sighed quietly, remembering towering stone fortresses topped with flying banners, the rhythmic pounding of soldier's feet, the neighing of horses, and, borne on cool winter winds, the blood-chilling howls of wolves.

The vampire stiffened abruptly, ignoring his Master's alert and suspicious glance in his direction. The carriage had just passed through a large pair of iron-wrought gates, which really wasn't all that special, except that Alucard had felt the carriage pass through something else. Something Other.

It wasn't a barrier they had broken through, but some kind of boundary. A slight warning keyed to anything more than human, and even certain animals. He focused his hearing beyond the interior of the carriage, past the enticing thrum of the driver's heartbeat, to the carriage horse. Hmm, the horse was unaffected.

The source. Who or what was the source? He opened his Third Eye to the world and captured the Phantomhive manor in it, piercing through layers of stone, marble, plaster, and wood as he searched for the source of the boundary. The manor had to house the source. It was right in the middle of the dome-like boundary he sensed encircling the Phantomhive Estate.

Nothing. He could sense nothing. Just a slight hum in the atmosphere from the thin boundary all about them. Someone had concealed the source the warning boundary emanated from, and it frustrated him. Alucard had no way of knowing if the source was a simple protective seal, or if it was some supernatural being he might have to fend off to protect his now frustrated Master.

He scowled and turned to Abraham.

"Be on your guard. Something is here in this estate, but I'm not certain of what it is." He stated flatly, before staring out the window stonily.

Abraham wanted to ask what his surly vampire meant by that, but was interrupted as the carriage came to a halt before the sprawling front porch of the Phantomhive Mansion.

***

Sebastian made his way hastily to the front door. He had just finished pulling off a last minute "miracle". Again. The other servants, with the exception of Mr. Snake and Mr. Tanaka, had once again made a wreck of all his careful preparations for their guests.

This time, upon discovering the multiple catastrophes, he did not say a word to them. He had simply plucked Bardroy out of the soot coating the kitchen, ignored his complaints as he dragged the "cook" down the hall, opened a rarely used pantry door, and locked him in. He repeated this process with a wailing Finny (surrounded by what looked like rough ditches in the otherwise immaculate lawn), and a sputtering maid (covered in an unflattering mixture of soap and shoe polish).

When he had approached the pantry door with Mey-rin in tow, he had hear Bard whisper, "Alright Finny, here's our chance. When Sebastian opens that door WHAM! We'll rush 'em!"

Sebastian had rolled his eyes, opened the door, and shoved the still-squealing maid in front of him like a battering ram.

"OOF!" The maid, the gardener, and the cook went tumbling back inside, and Sebastian promptly closed the door and locked it.

He had ignored the muffled sounds of their confusion, fear, and indignation, and felt no regret whatsoever.

None.

Despite the unfortunate setbacks, the Butler of Phantomhive had still managed to clean the messes up, prepare a tasteful meal, arrange suitable entertainment, positioned it all in a remarkably welcoming area of the manor, and had made sure his Young Master was ready to receive guests, all without said Young Master knowing of the previous disasters.

As expected of a servant of his station, Sebastian preened inwardly.

Aha, he had made it to the front foyer where Mr. Snake and Mr. Tanaka awaited the arrival of Mr. Van Hellsing. The tardy Mr. Van Hellsing, he amended silently with a quick peek at his pocket watch.

He stilled as his seal tingled in warning. Oh? Something supernatural had entered his territory. Something rather powerful. How tiresome. His seal pricked again in warning as a piercing gaze bore through the physical layers of the manor walls, and Sebastian was grateful he maintained a near constant camouflage over his aura and power. He did not want to engage in conflict with a being of this magnitude in such close proximity to his Young Master. The vampire, and oh yes, Sebastian knew exactly what Mr. Van Hellsing had brought with him, would no doubt become aggressive and territorial if it were to be exposed to his full nature.

Sebastian frowned as the gaze raked over him and continued on throughout the manor. There was something familiar about this presence, but he couldn't be certain because it was muffled. No, not muffled, but bound. Bound by whom? Abraham Van Hellsing? That would make sense as Sebastian could not think of any earthly reason such a monster would be traveling in broad daylight to this little luncheon to discuss the Queen's case.

Sebastian shifted as he further considered the ramifications of a vampire being bound to a human, this human being selected by the Queen for this singularly odd case of rapidly disappearing persons, his own master's involvement, and felt a tremor of excitement skitter up his spine.

At that moment, realization struck, and the demon butler suddenly understood why this vampire was so familiar.

It was fortunate that his two companions were not looking at him or they might have suffered a panic attack at the sight of the horrifically sharp smile that suddenly split Sebastian's face in two, and the cool brown eyes blazed a brilliant fuchsia.

Had he been alone Sebastian would have keened in delight, and he just barely managed to stay still.

He knew this vampire! Oh, did he ever know him! Never mind that protecting his contractor might be a little more complicated from now on, this was far too interesting a situation to miss! That this Undead creature, this Nosferatu, this No-Life King was here now, with all that was happening… and he was bound by a human?!

Sebastian rumbled in amusement, forcing his face to appear bland as the others turned to him. The carriage entered the curving driveway, and Mr. Snake stepped out the door to meet them.

"My, my, little Impaler," Sebastian thought, in hysteric amusement, "Just what sort of mischief have you gotten yourself twisted into now?"

The carriage came to a stop.


	3. The Luncheon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but the plot and OC’s. Thank you so much for the feedback, I truly enjoy it! Happy Reading!

Snake stepped down the front porch steps to the cobbled driveway, and made his way over to the carriage, his posture straight and proper just as Black had taught him. He noted idly that mud was caked around the carriage wheels, and splattered liberally along the otherwise glossy sides. He stood at attention to the side of the carriage door, reached over and pulled it open.

He made sure to keep his gaze low and aimed straight ahead. It wouldn't do for a footman to look a new guest in the eye, though it pained him not to properly scrutinize this newcomer. Usually he had Woodsworth or Goethe to tell him about the things he could not sense, but Black had made him leave them someplace safe away from their company to avoid any mishaps.

The carriage rocked slightly as a tall, red-headed man moved to step out. Snake sensed the man stiffen in surprise as he no doubt spotted Snake's abnormal features, and Snake fought not to blush

"I am the Phantomhive Footman and I'm proud. Smile and Black think I'm good enough for this! I'm a servant of the Phantomhive Household and it doesn't matter what other people think of me!" With those thoughts in mind, Snake straightened proudly and extended his arm to the guest.

"Allow me to assist you, sir," He offered politely, and, to his pleasant surprise, the man responded warmly in kind.

"Thank you," Snake dared to glance up at the man, and found himself pinned to the spot by sparkling, ice-blue eyes. Eyes that, while kind and polite, also held a measuring look to them, as though he were calculating Snake's worth. Snake held firm under the sharp gaze.

The red-headed man smiled and gave Snake a terse nod as he exited the carriage, and Snake did not melt a little in relief as he began to escort the man to the entrance.

There was no noise or movement indicating anyone else was in the carriage, but Snake was abruptly aware of something lurking behind him. His head swiveled about to find out what was sneaking up behind him (Oh, why did Black make him put away his snakes?), only to find nothing there and the carriage to be vacant. He turned back around to attend to the red-headed man, and silenced the startled yelp that tried to escape as he almost careened into another dark figure.

The figure was male, if the height and clothing were enough to go by, with a mane of dull, raven curls resting against the back of his shoulders. He was dressed in plain, black servant's clothing, and easily towered over Snake. This man… this man was dangerous, and Snake wasn't certain of whether it was the silent countenance, the looming presence, or the fluid movements of his black enshrouded figure that made him think so. The man reminded Snake of a scintillating blade wrapped in the blackest of silk. Most of all, the man reminded Snake of Black.

The man (servant?) followed after his master in silence, ignoring Snake's stuttered apologies, and the two entered the Phantomhive Manor.

***

Abraham allowed a polite smile to grace his face as an elderly steward stepped forward with a cordial greeting and assisted him with his coat. A flash of black movement in his peripheral vision diverted his attention from the old steward, and he glanced up, thinking that Alucard had moved ahead without his permission.

He blinked as his gaze took in the tall figure, who was not Alucard, stationed at the other end of the foyer. It was a butler.

The butler was young, smooth of skin, nearly as pale as Alucard (who made pillow cases seem dingy), with ebony hair that managed to lie across his face in sophisticated tresses. His attire was finer than Alucard's plain clothing, but was just as monochromatic.

As the steward moved away, the somberly dressed butler addressed Abraham, "Mr. Van Hellsing, I presume. Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor. I am Sebastian Michaelis, the Head Butler of the Phantomhive Household. I trust your journey wasn't too arduous?"

"I should say not. My only regret is that I could not arrive sooner. I am most eager to meet your master, the Earl of Phantomhive." Abraham responded as both he and the still silent Alucard joined the butler.

At Sebastian's curious glance in Alucard's direction, Abraham made a quick introduction between the two servants. Alucard nodded mutely, gazing at the butler with dimmed, red eyes. Sebastian followed Alucard's example with a polite nod and shifted his attention to Abraham.

Abraham blinked again as he was able to observe Sebastian more closely at this range. This man did not look like a servant. His face was sharp, finely angled, with long lashes, and sculpted lips. Some would say the butler's features were delicate and would be more suited on the face of a royal than on a mere servant. The young man's height was more apparent at this distance as well, and Abraham noted that while Sebastian was a couple inches taller than himself, he was still shorter than Alucard's towering build.

Sebastian smiled pleasantly at Abraham's previous words, eyelids concealing the cold, brown eyes from view as his lips curled at the ends, giving his expression a feline cast. It was meant to be courteous, Abraham was sure, but there was something…insincere about that grin. He couldn't help but feel distrustful of it.

"But of course, sir," the butler answered with a shallow bow, "If you would please follow me?"

Alucard gritted his teeth imperceptibly as he followed his master and the strange butler. Being exposed to the sun and walking about in the daylight wouldn't technically hurt him, but he did have a monstrous headache and an awful itch in his gums from lack of feeding. All of which put him in an entirely disagreeable mood. One unsuited for the sophisticated and subtle environment his master had put him in, and he had kept his mouth shut in an effort to keep from chomping off the butler's head when he had started making small talk.

It also didn't help that the seals inlaid in his flesh constantly nagged him to see to his master's comfort, to make sure he was safe, and to protect him from any perceived threats. A massive boundary keyed to warn off supernatural beings posed a number of unknown factors into this whole "allies" business, and if he weren't so irritated, he would actually be intrigued to know how the mysterious source of the boundary was kept a mystery. However, the fact that he could not locate the source did not register with the seals, hence the persistent sting that made him clench and unclench his hands restlessly.

So, as the trio made their way through numerous corridors, Alucard let his third eye examine his surroundings once again in a futile attempt to assuage the seals. Just as he was almost finished checking the manor, something distinctly not supernatural caught his attention.

"OW! Bard, that was my foot, it was!"

"Sorry Mey', but this pantry's too small for me! It's Sebastian's fault, who's he think he is lockin' us up like this?!"

"Ooohh, I hope he isn't too angry with us! Mr. Sebastian is scary!"

"Pfff, don't be ridiculous Fin, he'll probably just have us do extra chores or somethin'."

"I-if you say so."

What in the world? Alucard brought his focus back to the butler walking serenely just ahead of him, stinging seals completely forgotten in a wave of amusement. He couldn't sense an ounce of guilt or anxiety from the man, which only amused him further. So, the servant wasn't quite as prim and proper as he presented himself to be, eh? Locking up bothersome colleagues, indeed.

He was still smirking when the butler paused in front of a set of wide, carefully, lacquered French doors, and knocked.

"Enter." A small, muffled voice commanded.

Sebastian turned the ornate handles, and the doors swung open on silent hinges.

Alucard hissed in irritation and ignored his master's warning glare. More sunlight, that's exactly what he needed. Any amusement he had felt earlier was immediately quashed as sunlight poured through the wide, glass panes of the immense atrium. Russet cobble stones formed a neat, serpentine path before them, that wound smoothly in between numerous, lush gardens. Vividly colored flowers blossomed from all manners of bushes, vines, and trees, creating a rich canvas of greens, purples, and oranges. Their exotic scents wafted through the air, and Alucard just knew that he would be stinking of the overpowering things for days after this.

The little twitters of birds sounded overhead, and there was a distant, tranquil, babbling of a man-made stream hidden among the trees. The sun shone down from above, casting the entire atrium in a cheery glow.

Alucard felt nauseous.

Abraham inhaled appreciatively next to him, and Alucard's ire rose even higher as he realized that the smells permeating the atrium weren't as overpowering to a human as they were to his vampiric senses. His master was actually enjoying this!

Sebastian led them further down the path, until the gardens parted into a sunny, little clearing, with a sizable out-doors table in the middle. A glaringly white tablecloth was laid across the top, laden with large dishes topped with silver coverings. There were only two chairs, one of which was already occupied.

As they drew closer Alucard fought to master his confusion and surprise as the seated figure revealed itself to be a child.

Just a boy.

A boy with an eyepatch.

A boy that, despite his wide-eyed, innocent expression, his delicate frame, and manner of dress, leaned forward in their direction, like a dog poised to pounce. His inspection of the approaching group was sharp, and entirely too focused for one so young.

Alucard was intrigued, despite himself. So this was the Earl of Phantomhive? He could see it in the calculating gleam in the boy's eye, the self-assured air that surrounded him, and the way the butler was now moving to stand submissively behind the child. His sharp, red eyes caught the miniscule twitch of the Earl's suppressed smirk, and Alucard laughed inwardly. At least someone was having fun with this ridiculous errand! A mischievous ploy well executed!

***

Clever, Abraham mused inwardly, as he too dismissed any disbelief engendered by the sight of the young Earl. A wonderful maneuver for throwing your opponent off before the game truly begins. No, he amended to himself, as he flicked a glance at Sebastian's expressionless face, this game was in play the moment I received that invitation. Cold, brown eyes met his for a fraction of a second, and Abraham looked away to engage the Earl.

He smiled politely as the Earl stood to greet him, noting the subtle hint of mockery lacing the pretty words, and the intensity of the child's single cerulean eye.

"Welcome, Abraham Van Hellsing. I am Ciel, the Earl of Phantomhive," the Earl stepped from the side of the table towards Abraham, hand extended.

Abraham clasped the small hand firmly, "A pleasure to meet you, Earl Phantomhive. Thank you for your willingness to meet with me."

"It was no trouble." Ciel stated, with a dismissive wave, "Besides, I could hardly ignore a directive from Her Majesty, now could I?"

Abraham gave a polite laugh in response, as he acknowledged the child's subtle reminder that it was because of the Queen, and only the Queen, that this little get-together was taking place at all.

Do not worry little Earl, I will MAKE this worth your time, and maybe, just maybe we can help each other.

Abraham beckoned his vampire forward. "This is my servant Alucard. He will be assisting me in my demonstration of my organization."

Ciel gave the tall servant a cool once-over, before nodding and turning back to his seat. The two servants drew the seats out and helped their masters become situated. Then Sebastian took control of the situation.

The black butler moved around the table smoothly, plucking the coverings off of dishes as he described what was being served, and Abraham almost didn't hear the rest of the butler's speech as his nose was assaulted, then soothed with an array of mouth-watering aromas. He pulled his gaze away from the food and kept his attention on the Earl, who was also watching him in turn…was the Earl laughing at him? That single eye was gleaming far too much for it to be anything else but amusement.

They hadn't even taken a bite of their luncheon yet, and already the Earl saw him as some country fool.

Abraham shook off his rising panic. The situation was far from unsalvageable, he told himself sternly, and began to carefully sample the delicious food that Sebastian had set before him.

They did not speak for several moments, the chirping of birds and the clinking of cutlery served in the place of words.

"This food is excellent," Abraham said finally, as common courtesy demanded he speak first. "I expected no less." He added, hoping to appeal to the boy's vanity.

Both children and nobles tended to preen under flattery, and he wondered if this child would do so; such a trait could be exploited further down the road. He was awarded nothing for his effort.

"I'm glad it suits your taste," the boy replied simply, as he lifted another forkful of food to his mouth.

Silence.

Abraham refused to squirm. He matched the boy bite for bite, and made himself appear utterly nonchalant. He had faced, defeated, and subjugated a wily, 500-year-old vampire king on its own turf, he wasn't about to be intimidated by this pint-sized, pampered noble. At last, the meal was finished and Sebastian began clearing the table.

Abraham and Ciel continued their staring match as he did so.

***

Ciel felt his almost non-existent respect for the man (possibly a rat?) in front of him rise ever so slightly. So far, the man had handled himself with aplomb, was polite and well-mannered, and seemed to have some sense to him. A trait that most of the other nobles lacked. There was a bluntness to Mr. Hellsing, a directness that hinted at a man who liked to know what the problem was, how to handle it, then handle it. Ciel could appreciate that…it also didn't hurt that, should they interact in the future, such a characteristic would make Mr. Hellsing an irresistible target for teasing.

The most telling factor of all, however, was that the man had never once looked down on Ciel, despite his age. The man had treated him as an equal throughout their short time together, and did not seem to be underestimating him. Which also meant that Ciel would have to work just a bit harder to outmaneuver him, should the situation call for it.

Mr. Hellsing's servant, Alucard (and what kind of a name was that, anyway?), was also an unknown factor. How instrumental was this servant? Of course, even that couldn't be determined because he had no idea what exactly the Hellsing Organization even did, and the Queen's surprise Lunch Date had made it so that Sebastian did not even have the time to research the organization.

Ciel blinked, as he realized how purposeful that was. Her Majesty had made an actual attempt to hamper her Watchdog's investigative efficiency. Why? Was their being allies truly so important to her, had Mr. Hellsing curried so much favor from her? Apparently so, but Ciel did not like it.

Mr. Hellsing may have impressed you somehow Your Majesty, but he still has a long way to go as of yet before I am impressed.

As if he had heard Ciel's thoughts, Abraham began speaking.

"I believe it's time to get down to business, Earl," Abraham began, unwittingly amusing Ciel further with his abruptness, "what information do you have regarding the case the Queen has bequeathed to us?"

Ciel was quiet for a moment, but when his silence failed to unnerve the man, he answered.

"I know very little at this point. Scotland Yard reports that the missing persons count is climbing every day. First, individuals or even small families began disappearing from the countryside, and now the perpetrator has moved on to snatching random citizens from London. Reports vary on how these kidnappings take place. Many seem to be taken straight off the street, some are taken from their homes…forcefully." Ciel paused to sip at his tea, memories of the bloody mess the reports said were left behind swirling in his mind’s eye.

Like some behemoth of a monster had torn through the victims' homes, and torn them all apart.

"Stranger still, some reports indicate that victims seemed to have left their dwellings willingly, as though they had been called away by something in the middle of their mundane activities. A small kitchen fire burned a cottage down, because the victim had left the stove on and never returned. Fortunately, no one of great importance has been taken yet, and Scotland Yard has actually managed to do its job and keep these happenings quiet (Abraham smirked at this), so the citizens of London haven't started to panic…yet. The last thing we need is another Jack the Ripper."

"As to who, or what is the cause of these events?" Ciel shrugged elegantly. "No one can say for certain."

"Ah, I'm afraid I must disagree with you on that point, Earl Phantomhive. We of the Hellsing Organization believe we have a fair idea as to what is disturbing London so." Abraham replied, a grim smile adorning his features.

Ciel did not show the irritation he felt at Abraham's words.

"Pray tell,"

Abraham leaned forward, smile vanishing, ice-blue eyes intent. Ciel found himself leaning forward in response, despite himself.

"Tell me, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, what do you know about vampires?"


	4. The Genuine Article

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Bram Stoker’s Dracula, or Kuroshitsuji, OR Hellsing. Thank you guys so much for your feedback and support! I truly value it!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Sebastian was having a rather grand time so far. His little master was chafing at having to entertain this foreign upstart, and he could smell said foreign upstart's nervous anticipation. Even better, was the current condition of the Impaling King. Bound to the extent of enslavement, and at the whim of a human no less? Sebastian cackled inwardly. Oh, he did hope that Hellsing would eventually elaborate on how this came to be.

His sadistic nature was further delighted at the bonds themselves. A human would barely register the strange seal marks on the back of the vampire's pristine gloves, but they gleamed bloody red to Sebastian's gaze. He could sense their probing activity, and see the regular miniscule warnings it gave their bearer, as the beast shuddered or curled its lips in agitation. Sebastian distantly wondered how things could get any better than this, when they did.

"Tell me, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, what do you know about vampires?" Sebastian drank in Ciel's bewildered expression with relish.

Oh yes, this day was turning out spectacularly.

***

Ciel's back made a soft thump as it connected with the back of his chair. He blinked once. V-Vampires?! The man could not be serious, and Ciel felt anger stir in his stomach. This man was in far too precarious of a position to be playing jokes, and he leaned forward as he prepared to verbally cut the fool down to size.

But wait…the man was still gazing at him intently and Ciel could discern no deception, no amusement, and no malice in his eyes. Only a deeply, penetrating earnestness. He glanced at the other servant, Alucard, but there was nothing to glean from his stony expression. Lastly, he observed Sebastian from the corner of his eye, only to find his servant already watching him expectantly. The butler's expression was open, but Ciel spied sparks of crimson dancing merrily in his servant's eyes. Ciel fought back a scowl. Stupid, smug demon. Delighting in his master's befuddlement, eh? Ciel made a mental note to give a certain butler an unpleasant task to fulfill later once this situation had reached its conclusion.

He turned back to Abraham and propped his chin on the back of his hands.

"Why don't you tell me what you know of…vampires, Mr. Hellsing," he countered.

Van Hellsing mouth quirked microscopically and Ciel got the distinct impression that he had passed some sort of test. He didn't allow himself to become flustered by this.

"Vampires," Hellsing began, "fall under the category of being Undead, which is to say they are no longer living, but neither are they dead. A vampire comes into existence when a virginal human is bitten and fed from by a vampire of the opposite sex, and then drinks the blood of this same vampire. If the human is not a virgin, than the vampire's bite is always fatal, whether the human drinks the vampire's blood or not."

Ciel frowned.

"How so?" He questioned.

"The resulting bite turns the human into a ghoul. A dead caricature of a man, little more than a shambling corpse. Even so, ghouls are still remarkably dangerous, as they cannibalize any human they can lay hold to. They are also under the direct mental control of the vampire, although this control varies based on the power of the vampiric master."

"Vampires are nocturnal creatures and they…," Hellsing's voice stopped abruptly as Ciel let out a snort of disbelief.

"While this is all very interesting Mr. Hellsing, I fail to see what possible connection vampires have to these recent disappearances, and indeed, what proof have you that vampires even exist?"

"Perhaps a demonstration is required?" The question was stated calmly, but Hellsing's eyes burned with an emotion Ciel could not place, and the boy tensed as uncertainty flared inside of him.

"Behold, a genuine vampire,"* Hellsing announced gesturing to his side. Ciel's eye immediately snapped to the tall, dark figure standing at Van Hellsing's side.

The servant's expression, though hard and unpleasant, had also been very blank throughout their luncheon as though his mind had been engaged elsewhere (hardly appropriate of a servant, Ciel sneered absently), but at Van Hellsing's words the pale face suddenly became animated. The dull maroon eyes suddenly blazed a searing scarlet, the face became ghastly white, further emphasizing the new harsh lines furrowing the flesh as the full, delicate lips parted to reveal two rows of jagged teeth framing a pair of fearsome fangs. The creature's spine seemed to elongate by several inches as it hunched up like a cat and a menacing hiss carried around the room as air whistled past the needle-sharp teeth.

The atrium immediately seemed to grow darker and a distinct chill raised goose bumps on his flesh, and Ciel found himself paralyzed by the sight of the black-wrapped monster looming over the table. Ciel shrank back instinctively, panting in fear, unable to tear his gaze away from the piercing, hypnotic glare of the beast that would surely devour him, getting closer; it was going to kill him…

Ciel's thoughts rapidly unraveled into wild panic, and he became lost in the repeating loop of thought that was predicting his inevitably painful end, when he suddenly became aware of…a nudge? A whisper? Something slight that managed to pierce through the black deluge suffocating his brain. A whisper that felt intimately familiar, grounding, and Ciel became aware of his surroundings again, could see the monster again, and only now, now he could truly see it.

He could still see the awful snarl, the evil eyes, could still see the warping effects the creature's presence inflicted on its surroundings, but Ciel himself was no longer affected. The creature was still undeniably terrifying, but Ciel wasn't impaired by the sight of it now.

There was another nudge at his consciousness, sharper this time, and Ciel was suddenly firmly rooted in the present again, in full possession of himself once more…and additionally aware of the source of the inexplicable touch in his mind. It originated from underneath his eye patch, from his eye…no, not his eye the mark of his…!

Ciel tore his gaze away from the creature and directed it at his butler. The butler in question was completely ignoring the monstrosity on the other side of the lunch table, which was beginning to make more of a racket now that it had lost his attention, and was watching his master with a worried frown. Sebastian's visage relaxed, however, when Ciel focused on him with clear intent. The demon met the boy's demanding gaze until Abraham's commanding voice cut across the vampire's increasingly loud snarls. Silencing all the questions he wanted to direct at Sebastian, Ciel turned his attention back to the other end of the table.

***

Abraham was…impressed. There were very few brave souls in the world that could resist the near telepathic attack of dread and terror vampires could instill in their prey. Even rarer were those who could resist Alucard's particular brand of miasma, yet the boy had somehow managed it.

For a moment, Abraham had been afraid Alucard had overdone it with the way the boy's pupils had shrunk to microscopic proportions, and the way his slim chest had heaved as he hyperventilated. He would consider rebuking the vampire for that later. A split second before he had interceded, however, the boy had jerked and seemed to snap out of the paralysis the vampire's miasma had inflicted on his person, and had turned to stare at his butler, presumably for reassurance.

Abraham had been surprised and unnerved when he saw that the butler, aside from the concern for his master written in his face, had been entirely unmoved by his vampire's display. Oh, the man had narrowed his eyes and stared, but there was no fear, no panic, and no trepidation evident anywhere. Abraham had never ever witnessed a human being react in this manner to a vampiric display of aggression.

Just who, precisely, was this servant?

***

Sebastian forced his irritation back and checked once again to make sure his power and his contract with the Earl was still hidden as he felt the vampire's own irritated third eye sweep over him and the manor. He felt vicious satisfaction as he sensed the creature's ire with its own failure to locate a supernatural source, and as its seals sent waves of discomfort through it.

Serves you right for frightening my master so.

Being a sadistic creature by nature, Sebastian was not averse to seeing his master suffer a little bit every now and then, especially if it resulted from Sebastian's own subtle designs. What he was averse to, however, was when other beings thought they were entitled to do the same thing. Ciel Phantomhive was his and his alone. His contractor and his soul to devour, and Sebastian did not take kindly to anything that bared its teeth at the little Earl.

***

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way," Abraham began, "shall I continue?" Abraham fought back a smile at the poorly concealed scowl the boy directed at him, and considered that a "yes"…

The sky was tinted a garish orange from the setting sun by the time Abraham and his vampire took their leave of the Phantomhive Estate. Abraham let out an exhausted sigh as he leaned back into the cushioned seats of the carriage and watched as the stately manor shrank into the distance. So much information had been exchanged today, although the boy had not provided nearly as much as he had.

Despite the long exchange, the rest of the interview had gone smoothly, with a new meeting date set in the future, and a last insincere smile from Sebastian (which still unnerved Abraham for reasons he couldn't explain) as the butler sent them on their way had sealed the deal for their tentative alliance.

Abraham cracked an eye open as he heard the cushions from the opposite bench creak, and watched the vampire sitting there. Blazing, red eyes met his single blue eye for several seconds.

"There are things I wish to discuss with you about today," the vampire shifted in unease at the considering note in Abraham's voice, "but I think we will save that conversation for home."

Abraham closed his eye again and leaned against the carriage window, and the vampire turned its gaze to the receding manor. He could still sense the barrier humming almost tauntingly in the distance. Just what secrets did that property house?

***

Sebastian made a slight detour down a particular hall before attending to his master. He paused before a locked door just in time to hear Mey-rin scream.

"THERE, did you see it? It ran that way, it did!" There was the sound of feet scuffling, of shelves wobbling, a very ominous crash, and underlying the general noise was the faintest sounds of panicked squeaking.

Sebastian was tempted in that moment. So very tempted to walk on, to leave the door locked, and to forget that there were other staff members in the manor besides Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Snake. However, such a course of action would be unseemly for a butler and would earn him a scolding from his irritable young master. So with a sigh, the butler unlocked the door and braced himself for the sight within.

Predictably, the other servants did not notice their supervisor standing in the doorway, until Sebastian spoke.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Sebastian sighed in exasperation.

The servants yelped and turned to face him, forgetting in that moment the poor, terrified mouse they had managed to corner. Then Bard made the first move.

"Who do you think you are?! Locking us in here for hours like that?"

"Firstly, I'm your senior…,"

"Like THAT makes it any better," Bard squawked.

"Secondly, there are many things that need doing yet in the manor before we all retire for the evening. I suggest you 'hop to it'." Sebastian turned on his heel and vacated the threshold.

"NOW WAIT A SECOND!" Bard yelled as he lunged forward out into the hall only to see no smug butler anywhere in sight.

"Psh, that guy," he growled as the others exited the pantry.

***

Ciel watched his butler carefully as the demon removed his eyepatch.

"Today was certainly fascinating, wouldn't you say my Lord?" The butler purred.

"Indeed it was. Do you know what I found most interesting, Sebastian?" A note of ire crept into the boy's voice and Sebastian braced himself.

"Pray tell."

"I found it interesting that my loyal servant failed to mention a single, tiny detail."

Sebastian's face became innocently blank.

"Apparently, my servant forgot to mention that he can tap directly into my mind through the CONTRACT!"

Sebastian sighed inwardly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gettin’ on a roll now! Pls leave comments and feedback, I lurve ‘em. Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Review

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Kuroshitsuji, or Hellsing.  
> Thank you and shout out to everyone who has dropped kudos, bookmarked, and/or commented on this story! Ya’ll tha best!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Abraham contemplated his vampire from across his office desk, a fresh cup of tea steaming at his elbows.

He had originally planned to question the vampire about its own perceptions of their meeting with the Earl of Phantomhive while the event was still fresh in their minds, but the vampire's current behavior gave him pause.

The creature's crimson eyes were focused on the desk with such intensity that it was a wonder that it had yet to catch fire. The shoulders were hunched up in a clearly defensive posture, with arms ramrod straight at its sides, and gloved hands clenched into tight fists. The longer the silence continued between them, the tenser Alucard became and Abraham was uncertain as to why this was.

He would normally dismiss it as the vampire being petulant; he was not blind to the banked hatred often aimed at him, with good reason. Their early months together had been trying, and Abraham had had to resort to all kinds of punishments both physical and psychological to bring the proud former Count to heel.

However, while Abraham could detect that old bitterness in Alucard's burning gaze, there was something else present that he had not seen for some months in the vampire's demeanor.

Dread.

What did the vampire have to dread at this point? Barring the incident earlier today with his men, the vampire was not in any trouble and despite what Alucard might think of him, Abraham was not a cruel man. He preferred to not punish the vampire unless it gave him reason to.

"Alucard," Abraham began, not missing the minute twitch in the broad shoulders, "What is troubling you?"

Oh, how Alucard loathed the hoops Abraham forced him to jump through. The man knew very well what was bothering him. He knew that he had overdone it with the boy. Had the Earl failed to snap out of the paralysis Alucard had inflicted in him (and how exactly the boy had done so?), then it could have resulted in permanent damage of varying degrees to the child's mind. Alucard was sure that the only reason Abraham had not reprimanded him then and there was so that the man could maintain the appearance of absolute control over his vicious beast. After all, it would be a foolish move on the Earl's part to ally himself with a man who was incapable of preventing dangerous mishaps made by one of his…underlings.

This attempt to make him point out his own mistakes, to incriminate himself (though it was true), made Alucard's stomach roil in pent frustration.

Attempt? Bah! Abraham didn't attempt, he did. They both knew Alucard was backed into a corner with no way to maneuver, unless Abraham allowed him some breathing room.

And Alucard knew, down to the marrow of his bones, that Abraham's resolve did not ever waver. The man would force him to apologize in order to bruise his pride, to further chip away at Alucard's defiance, and to further instill the idea that Abraham was Master.

Alucard clenched his fists even tighter. It was either apologize and hope for some nonexistent mercy, or draw this out and make things even more painful than they ought to be.

"I am sorry, Master." The man raised an eyebrow, prompting Alucard to continue.

"I am sorry for frightening the Earl so. I did not mean any harm, but I fear I may have…overdone things."

"I agree." Alucard did not wince.

"However, I don't think any permanent damage was done and I am interested in discussing with you as to why that is, as well as some other things regarding the interview. Your apology is appreciated."

Alucard stared. Abraham smirked.

"Well? Tell me about what you sensed when we passed through the Estate gates."

"When the carriage passed through the gate, it did not just pass through man-made property lines, but through some form of supernatural boundary," Alucard answered, recovering swiftly from his shock.

"A boundary?" Abraham frowned.

"Yes, an alarm system of sorts in terms of function; it was keyed to alert someone or something within the estate of any approaching supernatural beings and even certain animals. Considering that it was aligned with the property lines of the estate, my guess is that the Manor contains the source from which the boundary emanates from. However, I was unable to determine whether it was a being or an object that was the source, let alone its location."

"You set it off though, yes?"

"Yes something was alerted to my presence, but again I was unable to sense anything out of the ordinary within the estate. The carriage horse was unaffected as well."

"Hmm. Considering that the boundary is so purposefully set along man-made lines and is so specifically designed, I would say its likely someone placed it there, or placed an object with this function there. The Phantomhive Family seems the most suspect, since the estate has been in their possession for generations…"

Alucard stood silent as Abraham mulled over this new information.

"We will investigate this boundary later, as there are more pressing matters I need to prioritize. The Phantomhive Estate may have its secrets for the time being, as we will also keep most of our own. The Earl was unable to provide anything we didn't already know regarding these missing persons, and now that we have traded information and the Hellsing Organization's own leads, we are now brought up to speed….except we still don't know anything certain besides the rising death and missing persons toll," Abraham grumbled.

His gaze rested on the form of his tall vampire.

"You are dismissed. Return to your room."

The vampire bowed stiffly, and strode out the door.

Abraham regarded the closed door in silence for several moments. Pushing away thoughts of going to bed, he opened his desk drawer, pulled out a thick stack of files, and set them on top of his desk. The cover of the top file was titled Missing Persons. He opened the cover and poured over the contents. The cup of tea sat forgotten at his elbow, its contents long cooled by the time he retired to his bed.

***

"It's not exactly a direct link to your mind, young master," Sebastian began, his hands making placating gestures.

"If that's meant to somehow comfort me, Sebastian, I can assure you that it hasn't," Ciel snapped irately, "The fact remains that you were somehow able to access my mind and influence it! I don't care that it was in order to help me, my mind is my own and I will not have you of all people meddling with it!"

"Not even to preserve your own sanity?" Sebastian asked with a teasing lilt to his voice, but his cool eyes flared with an unsettling intensity.

Ciel paused, taking in his servant's demeanor…and remembered a not so distant event in the past.

*Ciel gasped as Sebastian's tall form blurred and solidified in front of him.

"Sebastian?!"

Ciel turned in time to see the Undertaker land on the garden ledge and disappear with a final taunt at Sebastian's expense. The demon made no move to follow.

Ciel immediately began to protest, "Hey Sebas…" 

He was cut off by his butler's arm blocking his path.

"Stay back!" Sebastian commanded as a frothing, reanimated student charged at them with a howl. 

Sebastian stopped it in its track's at arm's length…literally, as it clawed and drooled in its attempts to reach them. 

Ciel was too irritated to care.

"Sebastian! Why did you come to me?! I ordered you to capture him and…"

"As per our contract, your life has first priority." Sebastian stated his voice unyielding.

"I went through the trouble of cultivating it, so I won't let myself be robbed of it." The demon tilted his head back far enough to eye his master with slit pupils immersed in gleaming crimson.

As the butler spoke, his glove sheathed hand tightened its grip on the bizarre doll's skull with deceptive gentleness. There was a sickening crunch, and a brief, but arching, spray of blood. Ciel met his butler's predatory gaze with wide eyes, unheeding to dark blood spattering across his face...*

Ciel could see a shadow of that same hungry gaze in his butler's eyes now, and he forced himself to consider this from Sebastian's vantage point or what he thought was Sebastian's perspective. There was a supernatural threat that Ciel had proved unable to defend against at all. Ciel unhappily acknowledged that if Sebastian hadn't interfered, then Ciel would not be having this relatively sane conversation right now. And Sebastian had already proven in the past that he did not need Ciel's approval to take action. So Ciel could forbid Sebastian from tampering with his mind in the future, but the butler could easily work around this command anyway due to Sebastian's own stake outweighing Ciel's in the long run.

Sebastian was still waiting. Instead of answering the question, Ciel diverted.

"If it's it not a direct link to my mind, then what is it?" Sebastian watched him intently for a moment longer before accepting Ciel's subtle leeway in this particular matter.

Sebastian reached for Ciel's uncovered eye and carefully ran his fingertips along the edges. Ciel held still, refusing to show discomfort. To the casual viewer, this interaction would seem affectionate, the adult butler showing affection to his young charge, but Ciel knew good and well that it was a possessive gesture, and Sebastian confirmed it a second later as he answered.

"This mark of our contract…it is my mark. It marks you as my prey. There is no place you may go and no person on this earth that can conceal or even protect you from me. In order to complete this contract and to devour you, I have promised to give myself to you to serve you utterly and without lies, so that you may obtain your revenge on those who have wronged you. Throughout the length of this contract, the seal grants me certain…abilities or advantages in order to better serve you and to allow me to trace you and cultivate you, or anything related to such things. Because you are mine."

"So when the vampire threatened me…?"

"The vampire's miasma, its natural ability to instill fear in its human prey in order to disorient or incapacitate, was inflicting such damage to you through your mind that your mind became your own immediate worst threat in that situation. The contract then enabled me to enter your mind long enough to guide your thoughts and to shield you from the vampire's attack. I withdrew when it was clear that your mind was no longer under immediate threat and focused on preparing to defend you physically if it came to it."

"So you're not always in my mind or "guiding" my thoughts?"

Sebastian laughed softly at this.

"Oh no, young master. That would be frightfully rude of a servant of my station." Ciel smirked in response.

He frowned again as a thought occurred to him.

"You said abilities as in plural…dare I ask what else you are capable of?"

Sebastian gifted him with a dark smile, and Ciel felt a chill go down his spine.

"I am capable of anything my master commands of me, of course."

There was a beat of silence, and then Sebastian broke it with a contrastingly warm smile.

"It is late, young master, and there are many things you must attend to tomorrow. If that is all for the evening then I shall take my leave."

Ciel nodded in answer and climbed into his bed. Sebastian picked up the candle holder and stepped out of the room, leaving the boy in moonlit darkness with his racing thoughts.

 

***

The next morning dawned cool and wet with dew. The faintest pink tendrils of sunlight washed over a small cottage house, not more than two miles outside of London town. The cottage house stood still and silent, even as the sun crept higher over the horizon. As the area continued to lighten, the quaint, little cottage became more sinister to the eye.

The sunlight struck dark patches of liquid smeared liberally about the front door, and massive puddles pooled about the yard, making it gleam a dark burgundy. The door was caved in, with great gouge marks scoring the threshold and walls. Scraps of cloth were strewn here and there. The chickens were loose from their coop, and wandered across the yard and into the forest, their feathers still ruffled in alarm as they sought to escape the smell of blood that triggered instinctual warnings of flight to escape from whatever predator that had drawn the blood. The corpse of a dog was laid out in a heap, as though someone had thrown it like an unwanted toy. Its bowels were stretched messily across the ground.

There was also a hand, oozing blood from its stump as it stubbornly grasped the rope of a well bucket, as though the owner had been in the middle of drawing water up.

As morning began to pass into noon, the cottage still stood silent and empty.


	6. Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Hellsing, or Kuroshitsuji. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I owned that much epicness.
> 
> Big thank you to everyone that commented, dropped kudos, and/or commented, you guys are awesome!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Ciel would have thought the severed hand to be a fake had he not bore witness to the bloodbath of the Campania. He could recall, quite vividly, a near literal sea of dismembered corpses floating about, the results of Sebastian's wholehearted slaughter. The ruby ocean waves about them had become deceptively calm as the last of the bizarre dolls had ceased their thrashing, with countless wayward limbs and heads strewn among the still throng. Even then, despite floating, the severed limbs had a near comical appearance, frozen in time by rigor mortis in all manner of gestures.

Yes, even now with his stomach churning in nausea, nose crinkled up from the stench, the hand clasping the well rope was morbidly comical, stuck in mid-action. Ciel wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or vomit, not that either of those options would be appropriate in this setting.

A voice from behind startled Ciel from his hand-watching.

"Rather gruesome sight to behold, isn't it?" Abraham said with a wry smile, despite the worry and sadness in his eyes.

Ciel sighed.

"Indeed, I much rather prefer my mornings to have the entire populace accounted for, don't you?" Abraham managed a grim laugh at that and the two turned to face the ruined cottage in the middle of the bloodstained yard.

Fine dust lingered in the air as the police of Scotland Yard milled about, gathering their equipment and rounding up what evidence there was to be had, before loading it into the carriages tethered a little further down from the cottage.

The two stood there observing for a moment longer, before Ciel's gaze was drawn to the slim, black-clad figure of his butler. Sebastian was crouched before the splintered door tracing the deep lines carved into the frame and surrounding walls with his gloved fingers, while taking care to not touch it lest he disturb the evidence. Aberline, Ciel's main contact within Scotland Yard, stood behind the absorbed butler, switching his gaze back in forth between Sebastian, themselves, and the busy officers.

Ciel frowned. Speaking of servants…

"Where is Alucard? Afraid he might be tempted?" Ciel asked, half-teasing as gestured expansively to the dried pools of blood staining the dirt.

Abraham snorted, easily picturing Alucard's affronted face if he were to be offered such a meal as the boy was suggesting.

"Hardly, although he loathes the sunlight."

Ciel raised an eyebrow at that before movement at the front of the cottage drew his attention once more.

Sebastian was standing now and making his way to them, with Aberline trailing behind him.

"Nothing?" The butler shook his head.

"Nothing. The evidence is much the same as the last."

Aberline stepped forward then.

"I still don't understand how those gouge marks are being made. No human could have made those marks, and yet I can't think of any local animal that could either. Considering the height and depth of the claw marks, for they are most assuredly from some appendage and not a knife, I would venture to say it's some big cat," Sebastian twitched minutely, "but I've already contacted the surrounding zoos and none claim to be missing any large predators."

Abraham and Ciel exchanged glances at that. "No human could have", indeed.

An officer called for Aberline from the carriages.

"I must bid you farewell for now, I'm afraid. I have to report our findings to the Yard." Aberline said, with a nod.

"Safe travels," Abraham acknowledged.

"And do keep this quiet. We wouldn't want the public to lose their heads now, would we?" Ciel added with a smirk.

Aberline shot a somewhat besieged look at Ciel, and then made his way to the waiting carriages.

"He seemed a pleasant fellow," Abraham noted.

"If only the same could be said of his superior, Lord Randall," Ciel scoffed in response.

"Oh?" Abraham prodded, thankful for the boy's cooperative mood.

"The man doesn't think much of our…methodology. If you keep at this long enough, you will see what I mean." The earl replied.

"Hmm."

The two made their way to the cottage steps, Sebastian following from a polite distance. They picked their way carefully through the splintered remains of the door and entered the hallway. The damage continued from the front door and all throughout the cottage interior.

Wood and stone fragments were piled randomly about the room, with odd shafts of light from outside pouring in from craters punched into the walls. Glass and ceramic shards made crisp crunching noises as they picked their way across the floor.

As Abraham lead the way, his eyes roved about the blood-stained wreckage, noting the shattered china in the dining area, a colorful quilt made of what seemed to be old rags lying torn and half-buried by debris in a corner, and a child's doll, dyed crimson and missing an eye, laid forgotten by the still smoldering fire place.

They would have only just begun making breakfast, we're lucky the house didn't burn down before we could investigate, Abraham thought sadly, struck again by the grievous realization that only mere hours ago, this ruined cottage once housed a bustling and flourishing family.

With a frown at the sheer scale of the destruction and his own dark thoughts, Ciel turned to Abraham.

"If vampires really are the cause of all of this, then how many do you think participated in this attack alone?"

Abraham scowled down at a broken floorboard in thought.

"….Two most likely, but I wouldn't rule out a third."

"They must have begun their assault from the front yard," Sebastian added.

Abraham glanced over at the tall butler, who was examining a blood spatter that drew a wild line across the ceiling with an expression that Abraham found disturbingly akin to that of an art collector observing an exotic piece.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, although he could guess.

"The severed hand at the well. The man must have been right in the middle of drawing up water when the vampires first attacked him. If vampires are as fast as you claim, then it is entirely plausible that they tore him away with such speed as to dismember him. The dog was probably the second casualty. It would've been alerted to the creature's scent and to its master's scent, and would have sought to defend him. The chickens were loose when the officials arrived, so someone else must have been in the middle of morning chores as well." Sebastian finally tore his cool gaze away from the ceiling to focus on Abraham.

"They would have been the third casualty. Presumably, the remaining family would have heard the commotion outside and rushed to the front door to observe and assist…"

"Only to be cut down as the vampires continued through the house," Abraham finished, impressed by the butler's deduction.

The earl scowled.

"That still doesn't answer the question of where the bodies are. There are no bodies to be found, even though you explained in our last meeting that vampires rarely clean up after themselves, and you have also said that vampires do not typically take hostages. Moreover, I cannot fathom a reason for them to be gathering hostages, especially since their victims are so…varied, with no connections whatsoever."

"Perhaps they are ghouls now," Abraham suggested, feeling a headache blossoming.

"Perhaps? Have you seen the total number of missing persons?! How many ghouls does a typical vampire both make and maintain?"

"The largest force of ghouls I've seen is thirty."

"And we're missing close to two hundred people by now; if not more considering how many of them are beggars that no one keeps track of so just how many vampires do you think we're dealing with here? I do not see how a whole host of staggering, senseless ghouls could possibly be hidden from us for so long."

Abraham matched the earl's scowl of frustration for a moment before Sebastian intervened.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, that there is a large infestation of vampires in London. How have they implemented such a consistent strategy? Vampires are solitary and territorial, yes? Why these sudden attacks, why so many? Has something or someone stirred them up?" Sebastian's cold brown eyes met Abraham's briefly with that last question, with a strange, almost knowing glint deep in his pupils.

Abraham clamped down on his sudden sense of chilly foreboding and almost wished the butler would go back to staring at the ceiling. He heaved a weary sigh.

"I don't know. I just don't know yet. Alucard is seemingly at a loss as well,"

Sebastian frowned, but didn't press any further.

Ciel abruptly scoffed and turned on his heel, heading for the exit.

"We've learned all we can here. I say we return home for the day to think on these things. This house will show us no more. Good day, Mr. Hellsing."

"Good day, Earl Phantomhive," Abraham replied to the earl's receding back.

Sebastian nodded politely and followed after his master, picking through the rubble with long, confident strides. Abraham watched him go, still unable to fully dismiss his growing sense of dread.

***

"What are your thoughts, Sebastian?" Ciel asked as Sebastian joined him outside.

"For a man who brought the No-Life-King to heel he's awfully slow on the uptake. I cannot help but wonder if the Impaler is truly as clueless about these attacks as Mr. Hellsing seems to think," The butler mused, almost to himself.

"Who?" Ciel asked, in confusion.

Then Sebastian smirked cruelly down at his little master, and Ciel cringed from his butler's sudden, burning excitement.

"Vampires are not the ones responsible for these crimes."

***

When Abraham returned home for the day he immediately shut himself up in his office and buried himself under a mountain of files, instructing his staff to not disturb him unless there was an emergency. He anxiously began roving through the cases comparing notes and reviewing details with the suspicions that had taken form in the cottage weighing heavily on his mind.

"I do not think it's vampires, Master." Abraham glanced up from his paperwork at the sound of the deep voice.

Alucard loomed tall at the front of the office desk, eyes burning in his pale face, his near spectral figure out of place against the background of Abraham's mundane office.

Abraham frowned, feeling his earlier dread from the cottage intensify. He set his pen down lightly, before clasping his hands in front of him.

"What do you mean, Alucard?" To Abraham's apprehension, the vampire's eyes shone with blazing amusement, as its mouth spread into a grin that was more a show of teeth than a proper smile.

"I think we're dealing with something entirely new!"

Typical, Abraham groaned inwardly.

***

The mouth is dry, the throat burns, and the chest aches. Air is neither friend nor foe as unwilling lungs drag it in to the desperate body, setting the nose on fire with its different flavors. The ears ring from the noise.

Oh, the noise, noise, noise. Too much noise. Most unknown, unrecognizable, but the screams, the wet pitter-patter, the crying, and the shiver of cold bodies huddled together are all too familiar.

Go, go, go!

The limbs won't move.

Run, run, run!

The limbs will not move!

The dry mouth opens, the parched tongue rasping, and the mouth screams in agony. The ears twinge painfully in response, and so the mouth screams louder, and is joined by a chorus of answering whimpers, moans, and soft crys. The mouth screams until the burning throat tears open, and hot liquid rolls slowly down the tongue. The rasping tongue pauses, and the screams choke.

The liquid drips into the floor from the open, dry mouth. The eyes, eyes that have been blinded for so long, latch onto the dull gleam of red that pitter-patters to the floor.

The dry mouth swallows, and the throat burns a little less. The red pitter-patter stops as it rolls down the burning throat.

Feels good, tastes good!

Then, there is no more red to swallow.

Want more! Want more!

Move, move, move!

An arm lifts to the dry mouth, cracked lips writhe open, and sharp teeth sink into soft flesh. The red fills the dry mouth, floods the burning throat. The rasps of skin on stone grow louder as the red-smell blossoms in other stinging noses, and bodies crowd closer, searching with long parched tongues.

More, more, more, more, more!


	7. Back To Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Kuroshitsuji, Dracula, or Hellsing.
> 
> Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, thank you so much to all of you that read, dropped kudos, commented, and bookmarked! Without further ado, here is chapter 7!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

The loathing and fearsome gaze of the Hellsing Director bore down on the expanse of white with its soldierly rows of black symbols. Alucard idly wondered why the paper had not withered to ash yet.

If Alucard had not seen what Abraham was currently viewing, he would have thought the London Times bore words of calamity, blasphemy, and a casualty list rather than news of England's current political affairs, advertisements for new companies and their wares, and a disgustingly heartwarming report of a children's event held at the London Zoo.

"Master, I had no idea that you held such passion for…," Alucard craned his pallid neck ever so slightly and squinted down at the open pages, "…the most popular summer trends in Men's fashion."

The foreboding glare transferred from the London Times to the unexpectedly cheeky Undead.

"…Presented by the prestigious Hopkins' Tailor Shop, no less. They really are the best in England, I daresay," Alucard finished, meeting his irate master's glare with mock sincerity.

"As if you have any familiarity with the Hopkins' Tailor Shop," Abraham snorted, and some of the fire drained from his gaze as he decided to humor the vampire's unusually good mood.

It was rare that Alucard bore a tolerant attitude in Abraham's presence, and rarer still that the vampire had the boldness to tease, especially if Abraham appeared to be even the least bit frustrated. The creature lived with the perpetual paranoia that its master would lash out at it for simply breathing wrong, though Abraham would never do anything of the sort.

Despite whatever misconceptions Alucard may or may not be laboring under, Abraham was more than willing to put up with mild teasing rather than hateful glares, and hair-raising growls.

"Hmph," Alucard gave a dismissive shrug, but there was a mischievous glint in his red eyes.

Abraham frowned in suspicion, "Alucard…you did not happen to give that tailor shop your business during your first "visit" to England did you?"

Alucard was in the midst of a feigned examination of the wood pattern in his master's desk and did not bother to respond. Abraham shook his head minutely. Vain parasite.

"Well, if it is not England's fashion that has earned your ire, then what exactly has you in such a mood?" the vampire asked offhandedly.

Abraham scoffed in disgust and threw the paper to the side in disgust.

"It's rubbish. It's all absolute rubbish!"

Alucard raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"It's a façade, a ruse. All designed to appease the public that nothing is the matter, that there is nothing wrong, and all is right with the world!"

"Isn't that the whole point? To not rouse them into mass panic, as though that is so outstanding a feat?" Alucard asked bemusedly.

"Yes, yes! That is the point!" Abraham snapped.

"Then what is the matter?"

"The matter is that it has been two weeks, Alucard, two weeks since we met with Phantomhive, two weeks since the last case and nothing has happened! No headway has been gained, and in the meantime all the time we give to this lull is time taken from our normal duties!" Abraham gestured forcefully at the haphazard stack of files to his right, filled with reports of the newest undead outbreaks, death tolls, and interviews.

The vampire's gaze turned sharp and uncomfortably perceptive.

"So, you are not mad at the journalists, you're only feeling guilty. You feel…useless, don't you?" That remark had all the subtlety of a freight train and there was a distinctly malicious note in Alucard's tone that pushed the words to mockery, and Abraham did not feel inclined to tolerate it.

"Mind your tongue, servant." The eager hostility brimming in the creature's expression dulled to simple loathing.

Abraham sighed inwardly. Testing, the vampire was continually testing, challenging, and poking at its boundaries and it tired Abraham quickly.

Silence fell in the office then.

Abraham sat back in his chair and his eyes drifted to the side as he contemplated. Despite the vampire's insolence, the creature certainly had a fix on the matter. Abraham wasfeeling guilty. The lives lost or worse, altered, weighed heavily on his mind as well as the victims in the Queen's case. Oh, the Queen's case! Abraham knew that aside from the main priority of solving the crisis, the case was also intended to privately showcase the need for his organization and his talents so that he could be granted support from other nobles and networks within England.

Now though! Now he had no leads in the Queen's case and no results to show from his normal duties. The pressure was mounting and the blatant false cheer in the Times felt like a slap in the face.

Abraham Hellsing, while a man of intellect and science was also a man of action, and he was quickly finding that he did not have the patience to sit idle in this lull in the enemy's activities.

Sulking, crimson eyes observed as the expression on its master's face became more solid and decided.

"Alucard, you are dismissed. Return to your quarters and rest. We will be on the hunt by sunrise."

The vampire's eyes still roiled with suppressed loathing, but an anticipatory grin snaked its way across the monster's face. The creature gave a practiced bow and swept out of the office.

That night resulted in a successful hunt with a slayed vampire and its ghouls, no casualties among his hunters, Alucard's perpetual bloodthirsty desire temporarily slaked, and a more relieved Abraham. Upon returning to the Estate and receiving reports from his soldiers and Alucard, Abraham was pleased to see that his men's' instincts and skills were as sharp as ever, as evidenced by the ashes of the few ghouls that had slipped by Alucard. His vampire also served as a remarkably effective hunter, as he well knew.

All of this he documented and filed away, with copies made to report to the Queen. He still hadn't made any headway in solving the mystery of what was plaguing England's masses, but with tonight's undertakings he had demonstrated that the Hellsing Organization was a far cry from useless.

***

"Alfie! Them chickens ain't gonna feed themselves, is they?"

"Alfie", whose true alias was Alfred, twitched in annoyance as a woman's harsh voice cut through the previously quiet air. He grumbled and stirred reluctantly in the depths of his tattered armchair, his hands fretting the newspaper in their grasp. The chair had been a right beauty when it had first come into his possession, he recalled wistfully as he shifted about. Now the stuffing was peeking through the threadbare arms, rough scratches scarred the under edges, and the once comfortable chair cushion had protuberance in it that warned of a loosened spring. It was still the most comfortable seating their cramped little home offered.

"Oy! You deaf? Them needs feeding them chickens do!"

"Oh, why dontcha' get offa yer fanny and feed 'em yerself? Me feet hurt and me backs got a Charlie-horse, it does. I been workin' all day! You feed them scruffy rats!"

"Well I never! Them 'scruffy rats' gets you yer eggs every morn' don' they? 'An you been workin' all day has ya? Wotcha think I been doin', eh? EH?"

"Weelll," Alfred drawled, relishing in the reaction his words were about to illicit, "I reckon yous been twitterin' on an' on wiff yer girlie friends, gossipin' an' such like."

"An' tha's why," he continued over the sound of indignant sputtering, " tha' pie in the oven ain't even finished bakin' yet. I reckon it woulda been done like supper was ages ago iffin you'd been workin' instead o' natterin'."

At that moment a shadow fell over Alfred. Fighting back a wave of apprehension, Alfred craned his creaking neck up to view the figure towering over his secluded position.

A large, red-faced woman with graying hair pulled back from her face glared down at her contrastingly tiny, and equally greyed husband.

"I reckon it'll still taste as wonderful as it has afore," Alfred crooned with a winning smile that held gaping holes once filled with yellow teeth.

The wife of Alfred maintained her glare. Alfred's grin wobbled uncertainly.

Then a wide, grease-yellowed grin creased the woman's face, transforming her ruddy complexion to the pleasant visage of a crooked-toothed, apple-cheeked grandmother.

"I knew thar was a reason I loved ye, Alfred Trotters," she declared happily.

"Only the one?" Alfred prompted with a roguish wink.

"Rascal!" she chided and swatted him with a filthy dish rag, "An' don' fret about them chickens. I'll take care of 'em, 'an the pie'll be done by then, I reckon."

"Thank ye kindly, Mary!" Alfred called at her retreating back, before settling himself more comfortably in the groaning armchair.

It wasn't too bad a seating if you could recline just so, Alfred thought contentedly, his eyes drooping.

Not too bad at all.

***

The acrid smell of burning food clotting up his nostrils is what roused Alfred in the first place. The stillness in the house was the second.

Grumbling incoherently, he staggered to the kitchen and discovered the apple pie smoking and blackened in the oven. Somewhat alarmed, Alfred quickly removed the ruined pie and began rummaging about the squat kitchen, opening the single narrow window in an attempt to let the building smoke escape. It was when the smoke had cleared and he could breathe clear air again that a thought occurred to him.

He wheeled about and tottered as swiftly as he could to their back door.

"MARY!" He bellowed, "MARY, YE DAFT WOMAN!"

He flung the weathered door open and stepped out onto the back stoop.

"Mary!" He called again, anger seeping into his tone, "Mary where are ye? MAR-?"

"Alfred,"

"BLUE BLAZES WOMAN!" Alfred shrieked, as he jumped at the sudden sound of Mary's voice.

His head whipped about wildly, trying to pinpoint where her voice had issued from. It was very quiet he realized. He couldn't hear any usual nighttime noises, nor could he hear the usual scrit-scratching and clucking of the chickens.

"Mary?" He called with much more hesitation.

"I'm over here Alfred. Something's gotten inter the chickens. Can ye help me real quick?"

"Well, yeah, but Mary why'd it take ye so long to ask? The pie's burnt to cinders, it is!"

"I'm sorry Alfred, but could ye come help me now? Something's gotten into the chickens."

"Ye've said tha' already," Alfred grumbled in irritation.

He stepped off the back stoop and immediately felt as though he had stepped into pitch blackness. He glanced back nervously at the dim, cheerful lights shining from the house and suddenly felt as though he was seeing the distant flash of a lighthouse from miles out at sea. It was then that he noticed that there was no moonlight to illuminate his path. The sky was overcast and not a single star peeked out at him.

"Mary, where are ye?"

"Over here," she called to his left, and he distantly noticed that there was something off about her voice.

"Are ye alright, Mary? I can't see a thing, how can ye?"

"Oh yer eyes must be goin' on ye, what with yer old age an' all,"

Alfred was too irritated and strangely fearful to respond to Mary's banter. It occurred to him then that Mary was calling him Alfred.

A brief gap in the clouds let a weak wash of moonlight illuminate his path ever so slightly, and he froze at the sight that greeted his eyes. A feeling of great dread was beginning to well up inside of him.

"Something got ter the chickens alright," he managed after a brief moment's examination.

The ground was strewn with the bodies of the chickens, their blood appearing as black smears in weak lighting.

Mary didn't answer and Alfred glanced up at her….and any questions he had about her wellbeing died on his abruptly dry tongue.

Smears of blood that looked like spilled ink dyed her bodice and skirt, and coated her neck in an oily gleam, with more staining the grooves in her creased face.

"M-Mary?!" Alfred choked, and he should be moving forward he knew, should be helping her into the house, there was so much blood, should send to the neighbors for help, should…Fear rooted him to the spot, however, and he did none of those things.

There was a fey gleam of sorts in Mary's eyes, their old, liquid agedness was replaced with something cold and hard. Alfred had a horrible inkling of suspicion that the Mary he was looking at was NOT his Mary.

The moon went dark briefly, before an even longer breach in the clouds lit up their backyard.

Eyes. Alfred couldn't breathe. There were eyes everywhere!

From the dark behind "Mary" Alfred could see dozens of pairs of glinting, feral eyes. He did not cry out in warning to her. The eyes were at the same height of a person and each pair had the same cruel, cold glint that "Mary's" contained. There were sounds in the night air again, but they brought Alfred little comfort. All he could here were rasping pants and stifled growls.

He took a step back and Not-Mary's eyes and the Feral-Eyes tracked the movement as one.

He turned to flee, reaching desperately for the lights of his home that suddenly seemed to be leagues away.

He didn't make it.

A cold, vice-like grip fastened about his ankle and he hit the ground hard with a gasping cry. His fingers plowed the dirt with his desperate, fear-fuelled scrabbling. More cold hands laid hold of him and wrenched him over, and he screamed airily as he came face to blood-spattered face with Not-Mary.

Her cold orbs bore into his and he was very certain that these were the eyes of the Devil, and he shrieked as snarling, fanged maws topped with cold, blazing eyes descended on him.


	8. Checking In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Dracula, Kuroshitsuji, or Hellsing. So there.
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Ciel paused at the sound of a faint rustle. He only just managed to keep himself from jumping out of his skin as he glanced up across his desk to see Sebastian's tall form stationed on the other side, dark eyes fixated on his own small form. Ciel carefully exhaled. Even with the morning sunlight pouring through the tall windows of his office, the Phantomhive butler still managed to emit a sinister, otherworldly aura that never failed to put his teeth on edge.

A small part of him wondered, as it always did, if the demon simply enjoyed startling him on purpose. The amusement sparkling in the indifferent brown eyes answered that question effectively, as it almost always did. "Almost" being the key word in this instance, because Ciel rather thought there was more to it than that. Ciel could not even begin to put a number to the times he had repeatedly told the creature to announce itself in a servile enough manner to befit an Earl's butler, and the demon generally did as it was told.

However, much like in the early days of their contract, this particular order seemed difficult for the demon to obey indefinitely, as though it bore repeating. Intruders and assassins would often pay visits to the manor in the wee hours of the morning in those days, and Ciel would often wake to the sounds of screams as Sebastian liberally slew the lot in droves. It mattered not how many times he rebuked his new butler, how many times he instructed to leave one alive for questioning, how many times he demanded the creature to go about its work quietly. The result of each and every debacle was a yard full of butchered, unknown men (and an occasional woman) with their cries of fear and pain echoing in his ears.

One night, after enduring the sounds of panicked, gurgling cries, Ciel had leapt from his bed and flung the windows open to view the massacre below. Its grand architect, his butler, stood in the midst of it all with his back to the manor. At his angered shout, Sebastian had twisted about to acknowledge him, and Ciel had caught a lingering expression of…something. He couldn't quite put a name to it, the only thing he could possibly compare it to was the cool, compassionless regard of a cat toying with its prey. It wasn't exactly glee, neither was it malice, despite the trance-like focus in the eyes. Before he had been able to examine it further, it had disappeared to be replaced with a servant's attentive gaze.

It had disturbed Ciel further when the demon had replied to his rebuke of sparing at least one man with admittance to forgetfulness.

Fortunately, progress was made afterwards as the demon began to eliminate the intruders with silent efficiency, and Ciel was thankful when Sebastian's obedience finally became complete when he spared one assassin, the final assassin.

Mey-Rin.

Now at the present, with Sebastian standing before him, once again in error albeit a minor one, Ciel could just barely glimpse that odd expression that had so commanded his butler's features when he had been surrounded by the corpses of his Master's enemies, and could come up with only one explanation to answer the events of then and now; the one thing strong enough to override a Master's commands.

Instinct.

Ciel was almost certain there was some base demonic instinct within his servant that compelled the creature to obsessively perform these actions in spite of orders to do otherwise. An instinct to slaughter all of his prey, unless they had the capacity to benefit him in a state other than death like Mey-Rin, and an instinct to create fear in potential prey, or prey already within his grasp…like Ciel.

It had to be some sort of predator's instinct or drive that satisfied some want in Sebastian, something his butler needed or else he wouldn't keep disobeying Ciel. So yes, Ciel often concluded, briefly scaring him was purposeful and it amused Sebastian greatly. It also seemed that Sebastian was in a very literal sense, unable to stop himself. Ciel found it to be unnerving.

And very, very annoying.

His annoyance was further peaked when Sebastian's amuse-laced expression did not fade at his lack of reaction. The demon somehow knew it had startled him, blast it!

"Young Master, I have come to give you my report," Sebastian announced, his voice expressing nothing but a servant's polite indifference.

Ciel did not grit his teeth as he reached out for the folder his butler offered.

He waved his hand carelessly in a gesture for Sebastian to continue, as he browsed through the photographs within.

"His movements have been purposeful and precise, and a team of soldiers numbering fifteen at a time accompany him, as does Alucard, on their excursions."

"How many times has he deployed?"

"Five times since our last meeting,"

"Have they anything to do with the case the Queen has given us?"

"No, sir,"

"And their excursions entail?"

"They depart from the estate at around ten o'clock at night, and travel in a train of carriages ranging in number from two to four. Their destinations vary as they typically disembark at cemeteries, but on occasion have also made a few house calls. Alucard is sent in first, with the soldiers establishing a perimeter of sorts about any exits at Director Hellsing's command. Alucard engages the highest priority threat, the master vampire, while the soldiers pick off the ghouls. Once all targets have been eliminated, a brief investigation and clean-up ensue, one to put Scotland Yard to shame with its efficiency, I might add, and then they return to Hellsing Organization Headquarters."

"Casualities?"

"None,"

"Weaponry?"

"Somewhat inefficient, the models are a little outdated, which causes lapses in time between each shot fired that allows the potential hazard of close quarter combat with the ghouls,"

"Are they in uniform?"

"Shoddily so, for soldiers serving Queen and country, sir," Sebastian answered dryly.

"Why are there no images of Alucard?"

"Along with their inability to cast a reflection, it would seem that vampires are also incapable of being photographed,"

Ciel frowned.

"You were not able to obtain images of the results of his battle at the very least?"

"Oh, I am most certainly capable, however, I could not do so without revealing myself in some way that the vampire would sense," Sebastian replied with an apologetic shrug.

Ciel drummed his fingers contemplatively on the top of his desk. So the man was conducting business as usual in this reprieve granted them by their mutual quarry, eh? Smart course of action, that.

"Sebastian,"

"My lord?"

"I think a closer look is needed to fully investigate the Hellsing Organization's activities."

"I concur, sir," Sebastian replied with a smirk, "photographs hardly do the real deal justice."

***

Alucard glared vaguely in the direction of the Manor's front doors, standing with ill-concealed impatience in the shadows of his Master's carriage. His fangs ached and he had shoved his hands in his pockets some time ago to hide their fidgeting and clenching. He was ready for the hunt and a few scant years at a human's beck and call had done little to curb five hundred year's worth of predatory initiative. The soldiers steered warily around him as they went about preparing for the hunt. Alucard ignored the suspicious and even hateful looks aimed his way by the men.

Men? Ha! Dogs was a more apt term for the milling soldiers. So ready to bark, leap, or fetch at their Master's command.

It's not as though you are much different, a faint voice deep in the back of his mind sneered. His brow furrowed in loathing. Oh yes, he certainly was a dog for his "master", but not of his own choice and not forever. Not at all like these common men.

Besides, Abraham Van Hellsing was hardly what one would call an immortal…those were rather hard to find in this day and age, and Alucard didn't fully fancy meeting one. That being the case, Hellsing certainly had the upper hand now, but Time was ever Alucard's ally and Time had a very convenient habit of disposing of displeasing captors in his experience.

A gruesome grin slashed across his ghastly, pale face.

Indeed, if Hellsing had truly done his research on the Impaling Voivode of Wallachia, then he surely understood the danger of keeping Alucard in a cage. Even as a human, Alucard had ever had a troubling habit of repaying his captors twofold for their…hospitality.

He forced himself to relax against the carriage's sturdy frame. Yes, Time would be a certain escape from the tyrannical Dutchman. Or, perhaps there was a way to break this seal, this collar Hellsing had furnished for him. It was not a consensual contract, surely it was weak by that measure at the least? Liberation has visited more than one slave in the past, has it not? Why should he be any different?

Only his set of circumstances was different. The seal Abraham had set on Alucard was strong. He could not break it of his own volition and it would take an exceptionally strong outside force to overwhelm and tear down the restrictions set on his powers, his will, his very being. It was a false hope and Alucard rarely entertained it. He was too much of a realist (HA! Since when, Mad King? That persistent, faint voice laughed, and Alucard was fast becoming annoyed with it) and so steeled himself to wait out the man's lifespan and any descendants the man may produce.

In the meantime, he would find his amusements in his master's petty, human troubles in making his way through the mire of England's political climate, and his continued failure in the English Queen's case…What was this?

Alucard stiffened and quickly stepped around the corner of the carriage to view the circular drive of the Manor, ignoring the startled cry one of the men gave at his sudden motion.

Beyond the train of his master's carriages, a small, but high in quality, black carriage pulled by two fine, ebony mares parked itself silently and inconspicuously to the side of the drive.

Alucard stared.

Surely he had not been so absorbed in his own contemplations that he would neglect the arrival of unannounced visitors? He reviewed the last few minutes quickly, and no, he had not heard the carriage's arrival at all. In fact, it had made no sound that he could discern until it had rolled into his periphery vision, as though the sight of it alone had permitted his other senses to announce its reality.

Now he could hear the horses' great whuffs of breath, the creaking of the harness and upholstery, and the rustling movements of two humans, one seated on the driver's seat and the other safely ensconced within the transport.

The soldiers, alerted by Alucard's sudden burst of activity, finally seemed to notice the object of the vampire's intense scrutiny and were beginning to group together to address this new turn of events. Alucard again ignored them, in favor of examining the newcomers with his Third Eye. He recognized their late night visitors just as the driver's familiar, lithe form gracefully stepped to the ground.

Oh dear.

The Phantomhive Butler opened the carriage door to release the diminuitive figure of Earl Ciel Phantomhive. Alucard could easily make out the single, cerulean eye gleaming with mischief and the smug curve of Butler Sebastian's smirk.

Oh yes!

"HA!" Alucard barked suddenly, and the gathered men startled around him.

"Send for Director Hellsing at once!" He snapped briskly at the soldier closest at hand, "Tell him Earl Phantomhive requests his prescence immediately!"

The man blinked at him stupidly for a moment, glanced at the approaching duo and then at Alucard's gleeful expression once more before making an undiginified escape to the Manor.

Alucard turned to the Phantomhive couple and gave them a huge, toothy grin.

Oooohhhh this was going to be fun!


	9. Testing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: who needs ‘em? We all know I don’t own these epic franchises.
> 
> Thank you so much to those of you who’ve commented, I adore the feedback!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Abraham checked once more to see that his gun was properly holstered at his side with plenty of ammunition stashed discretely within his clothes, then seized a small stack of notes that pertained to the hunt his troops were about to embark on. There would be time on their journey to review any important details, and Abraham preferred to be thoroughly prepared beforehand.

"Director Hellsing?" Abraham glanced up to see a soldier hastily making his way across the long foyer to him, with an uneasy cast to his features.

"Yes?" Abraham prompted.

"There's an Earl Phantomhive requesting to see you, sir,"

Abraham's mind went entirely blank and he felt his face slacken in surprise.

"Sir?"

"Did you just say "Earl Phantomhive"?"

"Yessir, shall I tell him you are currently occupied?"

"I-I, yes-no! I shall meet with him at once, where is he?"

"Right outside, sir."

"You didn't leave him unattended, did you?" Abraham asked sternly.

"No sir! There was a servant with him, a butler I think,"

The image of a cat-like grin of insincerity unfurling in a curve of ivory flashed across his thoughts.

"And where is Alucard?" He questioned, fighting back a sudden sense of unease.

"Outside, sir," the solider shifted in embarrassment, "He was the one that identified them," he added reluctantly.

Of course he is. Where else would he be, but precisely where he would wish to inconvenience me the most? Abraham struggled to stifle his growing sense of alarm.

It was unlikely Alucard was causing any physical damage to his impromptu visitors; Abraham had effectively drilled into the beast exactly what would happen to it if it decided to take things too far. Even so, Alucard still possessed an uncanny ability to summon chaos wherever he went and Abraham was not about to let the creature ruin any chance he had of gaining some stance among England's nobility.

It's not as though the boy is making this any easier. Dropping by on an unannounced visit, indeed. 

He set a brisk pace for the front doors, the soldier flinching out of his path before following him. He just managed to master his stormy features before he flung the doors open wide and stepped across the threshold. He stopped there, silhouetted by the gold light streaming from the entrance of the Hellsing Manor, and gazed down at the carriage-filled driveway from the top of the wide porch steps. He immediately spotted the little Earl and his tall, slender servant directly below him, facing the carriages. Abraham felt his heart sink somewhat as he also spotted Alucard seemingly conversing with the two. A loose ring of curious and apprehensive soldiers had formed about the trio and Abraham quickly made his way down to them.

As he approached, he began to note tiny details about the new arrivals. The young Earl was not dressed in his usual finery, but wore dark attire more suited for outdoor activities. He could not make out much of the butler's attire, but the man towered in the manner of a statue bundled in black, not unlike Alucard. Abraham also noticed that Sebastian had inconspicuously placed himself slightly between the Earl and the vampire in what could only be interpreted as a loose defensive stance. A futile move on the butler's part should Alucard decide to take action, as no mere human could hope to best a vampire in hand-to-hand combat, but Abraham still marveled at the apparent loyalty and dedication the servant displayed for his master.

He saw Alucard's mouth move in answer to an unheard question, and the boy waved his hand imperiously in response, to which Alucard raised an eyebrow to. Abraham saw the smirk curling the butler's lips as he made a comment of sorts and Alucard's booming laugh made its way to Abraham's straining ears. He felt his left eye twitch.

"Earl Phantomhive, what is the meaning of this?" Abraham demanded by way of greeting as he drew closer.

"And a good evening to you as well, Mr. Hellsing," Ciel responded, turning to face him with a coy grin, but the single eye above the curving mouth shone with cold calculation.

Careful, Hellsing, careful, those eyes warned, the game is still in play. 

Abraham schooled his features once more.

"Yes it is a good evening, and one I did not think I would be sharing with you. Why are you here?" His bluntness seemed to amuse the child, and he gritted his teeth at the sight of Alucard's gleaming, teeth-filled smile floating above and behind the Phantomhives.

…He's enjoying this way too much. All three of them are entirely too pleased with themselves.

"Is it not obvious? I wish to join you on your little hunt and determine if you are really worth both mine and the Queen's time," The boy stated calmly, ignoring Abraham's paling expression, "Besides, bringing a vampire to lunch as a proof of existence is all well and good, but is he really useful to you or is he all bark and no bite?"

Alucard's smile took on a meaner, sharper edge, and his crimson eyes flared in eager challenge at the child's words. Feeling strangely trapped and desperate, Abraham turned to Sebastian, the only other human adult that could have any sway over the boy; for surely there had to be occasions in which the butler had been made to decide for or council the child in his actions. The servant's face remained impassive and indifferent, however, as though he was a mere observer, and Abraham knew then that no help would be forthcoming from those quarters.

Abraham felt great misapprehension pressing down on his chest but he nodded to the little Earl in resignation. The boy was speeding up the "game" far too fast for Abraham's liking, but there was naught to be done about it. He turned to his gathered men and ordered them to begin boarding the carriages.

***

"Now then, Earl Phantomhive," Abraham began, glowering at the seated boy and his servant on the opposite bench, "Since you have decided to accompany us on this venture, there will be basic ground rules you must follow, both for the safety of all who are involved and for my own peace of mind."

The Earl's amusement had seemingly vanished when the carriage had taken off, and the boy's single eye now bore into his own with a startling focus. Abraham was both pleased and saddened by this. On the one hand, the boy seemed to truly be considering the gravity of the situation which would make Abraham's job much easier, and on the other it was disheartening to see a child so evidently familiar with the harsh realities of the world.

"You will obey my orders while on the field, if I tell you to run you run. You will stay out of the way of the soldiers and Alucard and you must not interfere! Cohesion and focus are an absolute requirement in battling the Undead and I will not suffer distraction. Am I understood?"

The boy nodded. "Quite,"

"Are you armed?" Abraham didn't mean to snap, but his sense of worry was growing and he wanted no harm to befall this child.

"Yes,"

"With what?"

The boy extracted a small handgun from his clothes and held it up into the dim light of the carriage for Abraham to examine. The Hellsing Director gave an approving nod and sat back against his seat cushion. He glanced at the Phantomhive butler from the corner of his eye. The man was gazing calmly out the window, his pale reflection staring back at them all from the glass pane. The reflection's face was deathly white under the moon's dim radiance and the eyes floated in the porcelain expanse like cavernous, black holes. This, coupled with Alucard's own lack of reflection as he sat across from the butler, created a strangely disturbing image and Abraham fought not to shudder.

"And your butler? Is he armed? Is he prepared for what is about to take place?" Abraham demanded, his eyes landing on the Earl once more.

The boy's single eye narrowed ever so slightly and a corner of his small mouth began to curl up in a hint of a smirk.

"Yes, he is," the boy replied simply.

Abraham felt his own eyes narrow and he looked again at the butler only to find the servant's chilling stare already on him. They held each other's gaze for a brief moment longer before Abraham broke away with a grumble. He ignored Alucard's almost inaudible chuckle.

"Do either of you have questions?" Abraham prompted.

"None," the Earl replied before relaxing into his own cushioned seat.

They rode in silence for several moments after that.

A brief rapping sound from the driver's seat caught Abraham's attention.

"We've arrived."

***

Alucard turned away from the gathered contingent of humans and threw his head back to gaze up at the swollen moon. Behind him, his master was relaying last minute instructions to their impromptu guests and to the troops. Before him was a sprawling and crumbling cemetery. The moon painted the sky a near black-indigo hue, and coated the grass and trees in a choking black, while its lingering light touched upon crooked, ivory tombstones. The graveyard's perimeter fence had once been made of rough, wooden posts, but was now overgrown with dense ivy and shrubbery. A single cherub hewed from stone marked the center of the cemetery, its forearms missing and the face had long since been eroded away by seasons of rains and snows. The wings remained intact, surprisingly, and stretched up towards the moon, tips nearly touching. The entire scene emitted a sense of sorrow and neglect. The cemetery was also conveniently located a measly three miles from the nearest little village on the outskirts of London.

It was the perfect home for a vampire.

It was a perfect night for hunting.

Alucard felt a hungry grin worm its way onto his face, and his fangs ached to the roots in anticipation. He shifted restlessly as the soldiers began to line up around the desiccated fence. Then his master gave the signal and with a near loping stride, he came to the graveyard entrance and stepped through, his Third Eye roving along the crooked rows of tombs and crypts.

It all happened very quickly then.

***

Ciel silenced a gasp at the sudden flurry of movement throughout the still burial grounds. At the Hellsing Director's signal, Alucard had sprung into action, his legs nearly jerking in their rapidity, and the second a black-sheathed foot had touched the grass within the cemetery's boundaries the old, neglected graves had erupted.

Black dirt sprayed wildly into the air as naked, gray limbs clawed at the ground, heaving groaning, clumsy bodies into the open air. Snarls and moans that came from deep down in the chest filled the night air, drowning out nearly any other natural sound. Even from his position near the carriage line flanked by Abraham and Sebastian, Ciel could make out the dull gleam of the ghouls' eyes, swimming blankly in sagging sockets above gaping mouths filled with sharp teeth that oozed strings of saliva.

For a brief second he was back in the narrow halls of the Campania, trapped by moving corpses, bizarre dolls, on every floor, with their reaching, grasping hands and gurgling, blood-stained mouths, but a sudden barrage of rifle retorts quickly brought him back to the present.

The Hellsing soldiers were now firing into the swarming masses of ghouls that had advanced to the overgrown fence, and Alucard was a black blur, cutting a swath through the thick group that had assailed him upon entry with ease, and his white gloved-hands lashed out with deadly precision to pierce the monsters' hearts. At this distance Ciel could have easily mistaken the vampire for Sebastian had his butler not been standing there next to him. Ciel blinked at the sight of the previously solid bodies collapsing into soft ash.

"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down," Sebastian whispered quietly enough for only Ciel to hear.

Ciel gave him an unimpressed glare. Honestly, is that the best you could come up with?

Sebastian breathed a soft laugh and they turned back to the ensuing battle. Sparks appeared on all sides as the soldiers continued to fire, and the occasional cry of warning from the men interspersed among the moans, and howls of the ghouls filled the next few moments. Inside the graveyard, Alucard plunged a glove-sheathed hand through a final ghoul before disappearing into the ground at the base of the cherub's crumbling feet as the ghoul's ashes settled.

"Now what?" Ciel asked, addressing Abraham.

The man's ice-blue eyes were trained on the lines of his men. A scowl furrowed the man's face as he noted the seemingly endless stream of ghouls still pouring from the now open graves. There were lulls between fired shots now, gaps of time filled with reloading and the steady advance of the shambling corpses. There were far more ghouls than he had suspected. The reports on this particular vampire indicated that it would have multiple ghouls accompanying it, but not quite this many. His fingers wandered to his holstered pistol.

"Now, we wait,"

"For what?"

Abraham canted his head at the place Alucard had vanished.

"Alucard has the highest priority. Whilst my men keep the ghouls occupied, Alucard seeks out the master vampire and any fledglings it may have, and executes it. Once truly dead, the connection held between the master vampire and its ghouls is severed, and the ghouls immediately become ash as well with no master to keep them anchored in this world."

Ciel watched the advancing horde of ghouls with a growing sense of unease.

"Are there usually this many ghouls?"

"No," Abraham's face looked as though it were carved from stone, "which means that we are looking at two possible scenarios. The first scenario being that there is one lone vampire who has made far too many ghouls to remain hidden. The second scenario is that this a vampire nest, meaning that the master vampire has a fledgling or two, with all three creating ghouls that are, once again, too many to keep concealed. Whichever is the case, I'll count it as a blessing that these ghouls do not seem to be armed."

Ciel stared.

"What do you mean by "armed"?" Ciel demanded, his voice shriller than he intended.

"Occasionally a master vampire will attempt at cleverness and outfit its ghouls with weaponry to better overwhelm its opponents."

"So these ghouls possess…an intelligence of sorts?" Ciel immediately thought of the reanimated students at the Midnight Tea Party, with their lurching, parroting movements, and repetitive phrases.

"The tea smells good," one corpse had repeated up until and after it had bitten a chunk out of Greenhill's shoulder.

Abraham snorted.

"Absolutely not. The master vampire is just that: the master. It controls the creature's movements with its thoughts as easily as a puppeteer does his puppets. So far as we know most every vampire possesses the ability to control its ghouls, however, very few expend the effort out of arrogance, indifference, and ultimately stupidity. Uncontrolled ghouls are one of the quickest and surest ways to track down a vampire. It was one of the ways we were able to pinpoint this one."

"Well clearly these monsters are acting in unison under the direction of the master vampire, so it cannot be too stupid." Ciel commented.

Abraham waved a hand dismissively.

"It created more ghouls than it could keep undiscovered. Nor has it gone to the trouble of arming its ghouls for maximum effect, instead relying on their many numbers to overwhelm any attack. Quantity over quality, but we are prepared for this."

Sebastian shifted suddenly.

"Pardon me, Director Hellsing, but I wouldn't be too sure of that," The butler stated, his eyes trained on the cemetery.

At that precise moment the sharp crack! of the rifles seemed to double in frequency, and a panicked scream rent the air.


	10. Testing II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own any franchises.
> 
> Thank you so much to those who’ve shown support in the multiple ways Ao3 allows, I treasure them all!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Abraham stood in stunned silence for all of a few seconds, just long enough to have all his previous fears come rushing to the forefront of his mind, before jolting into action. His pistol whipped out from the depths of his coat and he began to put distance between himself and the carriages.

"Earl Phantomhive, secure a carriage immediately! Butler, be ready to transport your master to safety!" Abraham barked over his shoulder without a backwards glance.

"What do you intend to do?" The boy called.

Abraham didn't respond and continued to the now broken line of defense, anger beginning to swamp his thoughts as he saw his men gunned down or dragged out of sight by the shambling abominations.

How dare they, how dare they, HOW DARE THEY?!

Some men were staggering back to the waiting carriages (Fleeing the battlefield!) and Abraham addressed them first, "Hold right there!" The men paused with fear-stricken expressions, panting heavily in their disheveled, blood-spattered uniforms.

"Where do you think you're going, Soldiers of Hellsing?!" Abraham bit out.

"S-sir, the lines are broken, the ghouls are armed, we have to retrea…" came the stammered response.

Excuses, excuses, excuses! The mantra of cowards! Abraham snarled inwardly, all patience evaporating from the heat of his white-hot rage.

"SILENCE!" The men gave pause, eyes as wide as the moon above, the threat of the ghouls behind them utterly forgotten.

"You are Soldiers of Hellsing, there is no RETREAT! Your enemy is there!" A vicious hand stabbed at the tumult behind them, "You are here, and you WILL FIGHT! Down to the last man! We give no quarter!"

"H-he's dead, sir! They s-shot him! The captain!" One sobbed as though he hadn't heard a word spoken by Abraham, a young man, one of their newest recruits if Abraham recalled correctly.

Abraham's mouth tightened, but he quickly pushed aside all thoughts of grief. There would be time to give the dead their due later. For now the living had to survive the Undead.

"And so?" Abraham vaguely noted that he was verging on cruelty, but blast it! they could not yield, not now!

"Have you a gun? Then USE IT! There is no retreat! Where would you run to?! Where can you escape to on this world that no evil such as this can ever touch you? There is no such place! Tonight you will either die a man, or you will die a coward by my hand and the hands of your comrades!"

The men were rooted to the spot in stupefaction. It did not occur to a single one of them to doubt the Hellsing Director's words, for they had seen the just and ruthless manner in which Abraham controlled a certain vampire. They straightened into a salute.

"Yes, Sir! Ready for orders, sir!" The rage scorching his insides had not been quenched, but now had a different target.

"We'll reform the lines here, lay low to the ground, you'll be harder to spot and hit from there. Begin firing at my command!" Could the ghouls fire their guns? Yes, but their eyesight was dismal at best, and their aim left much to be desired.

"Sir! What about the others on the other side of the graveyard?" Abraham grit his teeth against a another wave of fury and sorrow, for the other lines were in just as much disarray and he could hear the cries of pain and fear over the sounds of the ghouls' return fire.

"I'm working on it," He replied tightly, before repeating his orders to the newly approaching soldiers.

Once settled and the ghouls within their sights, for they had now exited the burial grounds in their pursuit of the men, Abraham gave the order to fire. The first line of ghouls imploded in a shower of viscous, black blood and snowy ash. With a rhythm now established, Abraham turned from the conflict in front of him to the one being waged on the other side of the tombstones.

He was gladdened to see that the men had rallied there as well, at the command of lieutenant Wisten, and were now returning fire to the enemy. If he survives this, he'll be due a promotion, Abraham thought grimly.

For a moment, there was only the sound of gunfire and the ghouls' moans, the stench of blood and dirt hung heavy in the air. Then the ghouls received reinforcements…from the Hellsing soldiers unfortunate enough to have been caught by them.

The soldiers' fire rhythm faltered at the sight of their reanimated comrades.

"Keep firing! Eliminate all targets no matter whose face they wear!" Abraham roared, and shots rang out once more.

He swung his own pistol up and fired at a ghoul that had gotten too close, bits of skull and dark, brain matter spraying briefly before it disintegrated. He spotted another man pausing to feverishly reload his rifle before an oncoming ghoul could reach him, and Abraham fired again. This was taking too long.

WHERE THE BLAZES IS ALUCARD?! 

***

Where on earth are those benighted vampires ?! Alucard snarled inwardly as he felled another ghoul with pathetic ease.

The ghouls' immediate assault upon his entry of the burial grounds had done little to faze him; his Third Eye had spoiled the effect, and besides…they were just ghouls. Absolutely no challenge for him.

Although they could slow him down. As evidenced now, in this clogged tunnel brimming with dead flesh. His Third Eye had instantly pinpointed the presence of three different vampires, with the simplest path to the nearest one being at the base of that old cherub. Or so he had thought.

Upon entering, he had met the expected horde of ghouls and passed through them as easily as a hot knife through butter, leaving clouds of light ash in his wake, only to find himself at an intersection of two different tunnels branching from the first one. He was fairly certain that this was not typical of an average English cemetery plot.

It was a very intelligent thing to do, he admitted grudgingly, creating a maze beneath the Earth that would trap any prospective hunters or opposing Undead in its depths while the architects of this labyrinth steadily picked them off in the dark. It was also incredibly obnoxious and Alucard was sorely tempted to make his own tunnel straight to his quarry, which was still burning like a coal of fire in the sights of his Third Eye. He had the strength for it, but not the time. The booby-traps of the tunnels and excessive ghouls implied that these maggot, English vampires were not entirely devoid of intelligence, they would most assuredly sense him barraging through the walls of dirt and rock and lead him on futile a chase through the bowels of the cemetery.

He grit his fangs as another ghoul abruptly shoved a pistol into his face and slashed his hand through the air. The arm holding the gun aloft came lose with a dull, meaty, ripping sound and the body slumped to the ground in a pile of ash as the head flew into the listless arms of another ghoul.

Of course, the vampires could also monitor his position through their ghouls, of which were still forthcoming. Frankly, the number of ghouls was beginning to impress him. His master had said that he had discovered these vampires by their ghouls, but the sheer quantity of them should have alerted his master through the correlating number of missing persons in the area, not just by ghoul sightings…

He peered closer at a staggering corpse. It looked far more desiccated then the rest, the gleaming, empty eyes had an old, milky cast to them that some of the others did not possess. This was an old ghoul, Alucard realized. It wasn't that these vampires were recklessly ghouling their prey left and right, but instead had gradually added to their shared collection over the years, while keeping their past ghouls in the best condition a ghoul could be reasonably kept. This implied that the master vampire was older than his master had predicted; wiser and stronger then what this isle's motley Undead population had offered him thus far, and that its fledglings had been trained to operate in a similar manner.

The sickening crack of ribs snapping punctuated the ghouls' groans as he thrusted another stubbornly pristine glove through the ribcage of another ghoul, piercing its still heart. A bloodthirsty grin split his face despite the dust showering him.

Finally, a challenge!

He destroyed the final ghoul in the corridor with far more enthusiasm than was required, and checked the locations of the three vampires once more. His eyes flared with excitement; he was getting closer, and this labyrinth, designed to impede him, would serve to his advantage.

Just as a new band of ghouls rounded the corner, Alucard let go of his corporeal form and sank low to the ground in a faint mist (the only other form he was allowed to manifest in under the Seal's restrictions) that wound through and around the corpses' ankles with unnatural swiftness. The low, billowing mass of dust motes sped down an adjacent tunnel, a sinister cackle trailing in its wake.

Let's see how well they like cowering in the dark like rabbits!

***

"DON'T GRAPPLE WITH THEM!" Hellsing roared as a ghoul lurched close enough to touch, "THEY'LL OVERPOWER YOU!"

He jumped back from the advancing monster, knowing that despite their clumsy and even fragile appearance that those searching hands had an iron grip that could crush bone, and that the creature would not release its prey until it was slayed.

Now that he had some distance put between himself and the swaying corpse, he hefted his pistol to fire…only for something small and shiny to fly from behind him and lodge itself in the ghoul's forehead. Abraham blinked, pistol aimed at nothing as the creature eroded to dust. The soft shush of falling ash was followed by a dull plink! as whatever struck the ghoul fell with it. Abraham didn't bother to look and see what it was, already whipping about to seek the source.

"Sound advice, Mr. Hellsing," The Phantomhive Butler drawled.

Abraham stared, mouth agape. The butler, Sebastian, looked completely out of place with the chaos of battle surrounding him, with his impeccable manner, and his arms linked behind his ramrod straight back. The butler gave him that insincere cat's smile. To complement the surrealism Sebastian presented was Earl Ciel Phantomhive standing a few feet from the edge of the conflict, his small stature further emphasized by their situation.

Abraham also noted their distinct lack of a carriage.

"I-you,..what do you two think you are DOING?!" Abraham demanded, "I ordered you two to flee! I told you that listening to my orders was paramount, I can't afford to have my men distracted by..!"

The earl snorted and the butler's eyes shuttered as that disturbing smile grew.

"What was that "there being no place to hide, nowhere to retreat" nonsense we could hear you screeching about from the carriages supposed to mean, then? Besides, we can take care of ourselves, your soldiers need not concern themselves,"

"It's not just my men's safety and success that concern me," Abraham hissed tightly.

The boy's single eye widened for a fraction of a second, and Sebastian's grin lost some of its size and sharpness. Then the earl's face softened.

"Your concern is appreciated, but believe me when I say that we have faced far worse odds," As if to emphasize his master's words, Sebastian's arm lashed out in an indecipherable blur and Abraham turned in time to see an approaching ghoul fall to dust.

"I'm afraid we don't have the time to debate this further," the butler reminded them.

Abraham could not keep a growl from rolling out of his throat. His fury and loathing for the vampire and ghouls was now coupled with rage and worry for his two rebelling "charges", and it was difficult to think beyond it.

"Very well," he spat before whirling around and firing into the staggering masses, ignoring the earl's faint snicker.

Sebastian's black-shrouded form entered his peripheral vision and he turned at the gleam of silver winking at him from the butler's grip.

"Are those…?" the servant's arm lashed out again and three more ghouls disintegrated while the men reloaded.

"Are those butter knives?!" Abraham did not squawk, anger momentarily forgotten.

"Yes, with a few forks and spoons as well. For variety's sake, you understand," Sebastian replied, with a masterful poker face.

Abraham stared.

"Does the earl know you're using his silverware?"

"Certainly," Abraham couldn't help it; even in the midst of a gunfight with the Undead, he broke into a roar of laughter as he aimed for his next target.

He laughed even harder when the butler raised a critical eyebrow at him mid-throw and still hit his target dead-on.

"I'm not sure which is more insane," he gasped, "the fact that you brought silverware to a gunfight, or that they are actually working!"

"Well, they are pure silver. What sort of butler would I be if I served the Earl of Phantomhive with anything less than the finest tableware?"

Abraham only shook his head in disbelief.

***

The Roberts family had settled the nearby village of Drewington three centuries ago, and the town had retained a small population since then, despite its close proximity to the massive city of London. It was a quiet village, quaint and charming, with amiable inhabitants whose main occupation consisted of farming, livestock, and lovely potlucks held every Sunday luncheon after the town's only church service.

Due to its high mortality rate, Drewington was also commonly referred to as the Witch's Cauldron. No one could explain why, and of course doctors and modern medicine were suggesting new and contradictory theories about disease and infection every day, but Drewington was always suffering from some bout of disease or plague. Dreadful periods of Whooping Cough, the pox, and endless others. It was often said around the Isle that if there was a sickness to catch in all of Europe, one could be sure to contract it in the Witch's Cauldron.

The village's founding family, the Roberts, had by some stroke of fortune continued generation after generation until the winter of 1769, when the final surviving member and heir of the Roberts family, Anton Roberts died at the age of thirty-four. Anton had reportedly fallen ill two weeks prior to his death, struck down by some infection no one could identify. He remained in bed, pale and faint as though leeched of his red life-blood. In the final week of his life he had raged in a fevered delirium about ghosts and she-demons that visited him in the night and whispered of evil and profane things and sent him nightmares of his deceased family. He had died in the wee hours of the morning on December 12, 1769. The whole of Drewington had mourned his passing and sought comfort in the idea that his sufferings were ended.

This relief was short-lived, for, as all illnesses are wont to do in the Witch's Cauldron, the disease that finally toppled the Roberts family lingered among the villagers to the present day. The disease had yet to be identified, let alone a cure to chase it away.

Some folks liked to gossip that it was a curse laid down by some devil of sorts. In the late hours of the night, some of the old gents, who spent the majority of their days sitting in Belinda's Pub, whispered over tankards of watery beer that it was young Master Roberts himself, unable to lay at peace and taking his fury for dying so young out on the surviving inhabitants and all their descendants, before going back to arguing about whether or not consuming "them fore'n Oriental foodstuffs" could rot an Englishman's teeth or not (Old man Creston swore it would do no such thing to a man of proper English stock if he ingested a cup of strawberry cordial beforehand, but that may have had more to do with having an excuse to get a bottle of Marjorie Stalworth's popular cordials than anything else).

Astonishingly enough, the old fogies weren't too far off the mark, regarding Anton Roberts that is.

The last of the Roberts line sat in total darkness atop his coffin with a stillness few others but the Undead could achieve, surrounded by the remains of his long dead ancestors. He had come to understand that this was normal for his kind, particularly after observing the habits and behaviors of his fledglings, this utter lack of motion that could last for days if he wished it to.

He was beginning to consider moving, however, after viewing what his ghouls were battling. Another vampire. A tall, gangly bloke, with a look about him that reminded Anton of the old Viking tales his great-grandfather would tell him of, the ones involving the wild berserkers. Anton never did much like those stories. And like those berserkers of old, this wild-eyed vampire was massacring his carefully tended ghouls. Very rude.

The slightly slanted eyes and strong aquiline features strongly suggested that this beast wasn't even from the Isle of England. That could be troublesome. Despite his observances of himself and his fledglings and a few rare encounters with loner vampires, Anton felt as though he still knew very little about his current species or even the full extent of his own abilities. All he knew for certain was that he was stronger than his fledglings and that together they had overpowered any other vampiric challengers for territory. He couldn't ask his maker, she had abandoned him before he had even passed into Undeath, which he thought to be rather irresponsible.

At any rate, due to his own ignorance, he had no idea what other vampires were truly capable of or if their own powers and behaviors varied depending on where they came from. This foreigner looked brutal and bestial in its manner; Anton had fought others like that before, but those others had been irrational, totally ruled by bloodthirsty instinct, like rabid dogs. This one had a rabid look to it as well, but it also possessed an unnerving gleam of cruel calculation in its blazing eyes.

Mad and intelligent; a frightening combination and Anton had always been ever cautious both in life and Undeath. As evidenced by his careful maintenance of his fledglings and his ghouls. It stemmed from a need of secrecy in his life as a leader in Drewington. Much respect had been afforded to his family by the villagers, accompanied by ever observant eyes watching their every move and running mouths that were quick to spread any gossip regarding the Roberts. If one wished to have a semblance of privacy, one had to exercise a little subterfuge to escape prying eyes.

He acknowledged his failure in that endeavor. He had amassed too many ghouls and still hadn't the slightest idea of how to stop making them and yet still feed.

Well, there was no use crying over spilled milk especially when there was an invader in his home.

He rose from his seat on his coffin lid and began to make his way through the tunnels, to rejoin his youngest fledgling. He had learned with his first fledgling that they possessed a type of mental link not unlike the one they shared with their respective ghouls. They couldn't pass full thoughts to each other, only basic emotions and impressions, but it was still effective. Through this link, he could sense his eldest several passages away conducting her ghouls against other challengers, the youngest doing the same in the opposite direction. He smirked to himself as he sensed her growing sense of victory. Her ghouls must have been faring well then.

He frowned as he saw the enemy vampire cut down the current ghoul he was using see through, and quickly switched to the next incoming group. He froze mid-step when they rounded the corner.

W-where was it?! Where did it go?

He quickly switched through several ghouls, searching feverishly for his missing quarry, but it was in vain. There was no enemy vampire in that tunnel.

Dread rushed through his veins like icy slush. There was no way it had run past the ghouls without them noticing, and it was unlikely it had retreated back down the way it had come, if the eager mania twisting its face served as any indication. No, it had seemingly vanished… Anton couldn't do that, his fledglings couldn't do that…how were they supposed to fight an enemy they couldn't see?!

His eldest was reaching out to him now, concern evident from her side of the link as she sensed his growing apprehension, and he sent her a quick brush of reassurance. His youngest was too engrossed in her ghouls' battle to sense Anton, and he redoubled his efforts to reach her.

She was still young, less experienced then him or his eldest and she would need his help the most…only two more turns!

Anton gasped and screeched to a halt as a blinding wave of agony and sheer terror overtook him for the briefest of seconds. Then the feeling vanished as soon as it had arrived.

She was gone.

And Anton knew with utter certainty that the mystery vampire was the culprit. He whirled about, real fear coursing through him now, flooding the link between himself and his eldest with warning, and he broke into a sprint, desperate to reach and aid his last fledgling before…

Agony tore across his face, however, drowning out his eldest's response, and he doubled over as a corresponding ripping sensation bloomed across his stomach. His knees buckled and he would have hit the ground if not for the steel grip on his shoulders holding him up. His head whipped about blindly, searching, his eyes still burning and it occurred to him that he might not actually have eyes anymore.

The steel grip tightened and he felt the icy sensation of ten talons piercing the flesh there. He opened his mouth to scream, but all he could manage was a gasping whimper, sending dull, aching flares through his abdomen.

"Time's up, mongrel. It's such a shame that you are so pathetically incompetent. You might have been able to save your last, equally pathetic child" A deep voice sneered.

The last thing Anton Roberts heard was the sound of mocking laughter ringing sharply off of the tunnel walls. Then fire erupted in his throat and chest, and he knew no more.

***

Above ground, unseen by those around him, surrounded in gun smoke and swirling ash, the demon grinned in fiendish delight.

Two down, one to go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alucard is on the move and Sebastian is LOVING it! Until next time :)


	11. Testing III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I make no claims of ownership regarding the franchises Kuroshitsuji, Hellsing, and Dracula.
> 
> Thank you so much for the support you guys! So sorry I haven’t responded to those who’ve commented, I delight in your feedback, and in every notification I receive! Thank you!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

Abraham growled under his breath as he emptied his final bullet into the skull of an oncoming ghoul. At the sound of a gurgling snarl, he spun around and found himself staring straight into the muzzle of a rifle gripped in rotting, gray hands. Before he could do more than bare his teeth in defiance, the ghoul imploded just as the sharp retort of a pistol rang out next to his elbow.

Blinkingly owlishly, he looked down to see the little earl already taking aim for a new target.

"Have you anymore bullets?" The earl had to shout over the deafening booms of the guns going off on all sides.

"No," Abraham replied shortly, staying close to the armed child.

The earl snorted.

"Well, that's no good. Sebastian!"

A displacement of air next to his ear was the only warning he received as a fork whizzed by and pierced the forehead of another corpse. Both earl and director turned around to face the waiting butler. Abraham stared. Both he and the earl were already coated in filth and sweat, despite the cool of the evening, but Sebastian looked as he fresh as he had when they had emptied the carriages, with no trace of the carnage he had partaken in to be seen on his uniform.

Where in the world did you get this servant, earl? 

"Sebastian, Director Hellsing has run out of bullets. This excursion has become tedious," Ciel stated ignoring Abraham's rapidly growing alarm, "Do see what is taking Alucard so long to mop up the riff-raff."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian bowed low before placing a knife coated with crusty, black ash into Abraham's empty palm.

"Strike and retreat, you know what will happen if you don't move fast enough," the butler instructed a stunned Abraham with a cheery wink.

Then, before Abraham could protest, Sebastian darted into the thick of the conflict and disappeared in the direction of the graveyard.

"Butler, WAIT!" Abraham yelled, stepping forward to give chase, but immediately retreated as a ghoul lurched for him.

He leapt back to the earl's side, and the child swiftly dispatched the monster.

"Don't trouble yourself, Mr. Hellsing," the boy said, addressing his dark scowl, "Sebastian knows how to handle himself," Abraham's face did not lose its grim concern and his fist tightened around the knife handle.

Ghouls are one thing, little earl, and your butler certainly did hold his own with them, I'll give you that, but vampires are something else entirely. There is a reason I send Alucard instead of a troop of soldiers to confront them.

Abraham's lips curled into a snarl of frustration as he adjusted his grip on his pistol so that it could be used as a crude club, and readied the stained knife in his other hand. He reached for the Hellsing Seal gleaming faintly in the deepest recesses of his mind and sent a wave of urgency through it. He was not going to be responsible for the death of a civilian!

***

Ethel stood stock-still in the earthy depths of a crypt, once belonging to an old, influential family that had died out long before the Roberts family in a bout of plague. She had selected this tomb for just that reason; no living relatives meant no visitors. She had cleaned out the space of all the remains some time ago and set to making it a comfortable place to spend the rest of her immortality in.

Not that it was giving her much comfort now, and her immortality was in a rather questionable state at the moment. Especially with Death standing before her.

The other vampire was standing with equal motionless typical of their species. He was tall, taller than any vampire she had met, with the typical red eyes and death-like pallor, framed in a wild mane of black hair that fell to his back. He was dressed in plain, black servant's fare, with white gloves adorned with some strange, glowing, red design on the backs. Ethel wasn't sure what those marks signified, but she could sense the faintest pulse of energy emanating from them, and thought it fair to assume they meant nothing good for her.

At that moment, the designs flared ominously, the color of the vampire's eyes sparking with them, as an awful jackal's grin split his face. That did not bode well.

Thinking quickly, she immediately directed the remaining two ghouls to attack the strange vampire as a diversion. Then she leapt for the ceiling, talons digging into the dirt sides of the "escape hatch" (one that she had designed for just this reason, something her sire and sibling had teased her over) for purchase, and began to claw her way to the surface.

She whimpered in increasing panic as she felt the presences of her ghouls extinguish, and broke the surface just as the sound of skittering claws from behind reached her ears. An instinctive, threatening snarl was building in her throat, only to be choked off in surprise as she all but plowed into a black-clothed man that had apparently been standing in wait right next to her exit. Odd, she hadn't even noticed the steady pulse of his heart until now.

The hand she raised to swat at the human froze in mid-air, arrested by the sight of the merciless grin that cleaved his face in two, and the eyes glowed, not with the bloody hue of the Undead, but with a sickening fuchsia color that brimmed with vile promise…t-this was NOT a man and it was NOT a vampire! 

Something bright streaked towards her, too fast for her to dodge, and her body was seized in a torrent of agony originating from her heart. The monst-no, the demon, tilted its head in a bird-like fashion, wicked eyes dancing as it watched her face twist in anguish, and the horrifying imitation of a grin relaxed into the sweetest of smiles as its gloved hand raised to lazily wave her a docile goodbye. Ethel found that she vastly preferred its rictus grin in comparison.

Her body paralyzed by the hot-cold pain in her chest, Ethel could only hiss in terror as she felt long fingers seize her ankle in a bone-crushing grip.

Trapped! She thought feverishly. Trapped by Death and the Devil!

***

Alucard gave a snarl of triumph as he snagged the wretched girl's ankle and slung her to the ground hard.

He extricated himself from the crude tunnel, clumps of wet soil falling from his hands and shoes, and advanced on her quickly as the seals sent another urgent pulse prickling through him. What was the hurry? Surely his master was competent enough to handle a few measly ghouls!

As he moved towards her, a flash of color caught his eye, a diseased fuchsia that made his stomach twist in unease, as though he had consumed something sour. He felt the girl flail stiffly against his hand as she attempted to twist free and as he turned to her, momentarily distracted, the queasiness disappeared.

He couldn't think more on it as he was again distracted, this time by the burn of silver beneath him, and he noticed something slim and shining lodged in her chest where her still heart should lie, effectively immobilizing her. It did not immobilize her mouth, however, and she squalled at him as he gripped the bottom of her jaw roughly in one large hand, his other pinning the injured shoulder to the upset earth underneath. Her shrieks grew shrill ("No, please! Please DON'T!") before they cut off abruptly as her head was pulled from her shoulders with a sickening, wet crunch!

Ash burst from the tattered stump rather than blood and the girl dissolved into a fine powder. The ache in his seals faded even as she did.

"Now that you've disposed of that, we really should head back to the carriages. Director Hellsing will be expecting our report, since he is no longer preoccupied with rampant ghouls." As though the voice had been a signal, the sound of distant gunfire ceased.

Alucard stood and turned to face the direction of the familiar, cultured voice, and its accompanying, steady heartbeat. As he suspected, there stood Sebastian, waiting in the polite and unflappable manner that Alucard was learning to expect from him. There was something about the location in which the butler stood, however. Something important, something that had disturbed him…but he couldn't recall what it was, which only served to disturb him further. Vampires were not known to be forgetful creatures, not when it came to things that put them ill at ease. He would have to think on this later.

Instead, he snorted at the butler's comment.

"I'm surprised you even have a report to give, butler. I distinctly recall my Master instructing both you and your master to remain away from the battle, yet here you stand with the faintest scent of ghouls' blood perfuming the air about you,"

"That he did," the butler replied with a cryptic smirk.

With a calmness Alucard had seldom seen from humans who knew what manner of creature he was, Sebastian stepped around him and sifted the pale ashes with his gloved hand. Alucard felt a frown creasing his brow, when the butler stood once more to face him, the shine of precious metal winking out at him from the butler's loose grip. It looked to be…

No, surely not.

Alucard laughed out right at the tarnished cutlery (a silver spoon of all things?!) the butler presented for him to see. He could feel the chilling heat from the silver instrument even from this distance.

He managed to not only hurl a spoon with enough accuracy and force to pierce a target's chest, but also fast enough to strike a mobile vampire. Impressive…and intriguing. Who has trained you to be so resourceful?

"Only spoons?" Alucard scoffed teasingly.

"Don't be absurd," Sebastian sniffed in mock disdain, "…I may have tossed about a few forks and knives on the hilltop as well."

So he battled a horde of ghouls before he decided to try his hand at killing a vampire. His heart rate isn't even accelerated. Either he's very well-conditioned or he's some sort of madman. Of course, I am a prime example of both, he laughed inwardly.

Alucard strongly felt that without his interference Sebastian would have succeeded in destroying the vampiress then and there. Whatever the butler might be, he was most certainly dangerous. Alucard had a burning to desire to test just how dangerous the man could be.

"You must have been a sight to behold," Alucard chuckled, "A shame I had to miss it,"

"Indeed, although I suppose one can hope for the future,"

"I prefer to do more than hope," Alucard countered, shoulders still trembling in mirth.

"You may prefer all you wish," the butler replied, his eyes dancing with a merriment that Alucard felt intimately familiar with. "It's really all that you can do without your master's leave, isn't it?"

Alucard's amused expression froze on his face. Why, you little…..!

The butler's lips curled into a coy smile and he stepped to the side and gestured in the direction of the carriages as though he were ushering a guest.

"Shall we, then?"

Composing himself inwardly, Alucard graced Sebastian with a grin that was all teeth, and accepted the butler's invitation to accompany him.

"You realize that I'm obliged to pay you back for that, yes?" Alucard asked cordially, as they fell into step with each other.

"I'd be insulted otherwise," Sebastian replied, with that closed-eyed grin of his.

Alucard fought back the overwhelming urge to slap his face. It would teach you better than to be comfortable enough to close your eyes in MY presence.

A mutually desired silence fell between the two as they continued on their way to the waiting masters.

***

There were heavy casualties involving soldiers that had been ghouled or shot down by the ghouls themselves, and there was a somber passage of time as the surviving troops collected the corpses of the fallen, and shoddy, bloodstained uniforms from amidst piles of dust.

Ciel and Sebastian had kept a few feet of distance from Abraham during the proceedings (although Abraham had flashed the butler a look of deep relief) as the soldiers converged on him with reports of the fallen, questions regarding the wounded, ammunition counts, and endless others. Sebastian also, surprisingly (or not, stupid, show-off demon), found himself to be a small center for attention as well, as some of the soldiers paused to thank him for his assistance in the battle. Fortunately, the butler had refrained from one of his cringe-inducing, "humble", "What sort of butler would I be…?" comments, and had accepted the men's gratitude with a solemn air, although Ciel could just make out the tell-tale gleam of cruel amusement in Sebastian's cool appraisal.

Alucard had also remained separate from everyone, and Ciel rather thought that the vampire possessed the air of a sulky, "notice-me-not!" attitude a child might use against a potentially wrathful parent.

For a brief moment, Ciel had felt absolutely furious with the beast. One too many soldiers had died in what was supposed to be a standard mission, what had taken it so long? Abraham had spoken so confidently in its abilities…but, perhaps, therein laid the problem. Abraham was probably overconfident in his pet monster, and had failed to plan for any contingencies that might incapacitate Alucard, subsequently leading to the heavy, unnecessary casualties of the troops.

Clever and strategic you may be, Mr. Hellsing, but you have got to learn to have several plans in advance rather than having to think of and implement a new one AFTER the first one is obviously falling to pieces. 

Another hour passed before two carriages filled with the wounded and the dead were sent off. The remaining handful of soldiers began the exhausting work of collecting the evidence and restoring the cemetery grounds. It was at this time that Abraham finally shifted his attention to his guests and rebellious servant.

There was a sudden palpable tension in the air. The three managed to keep from flinching as his icy blue gaze swept over them, although Alucard was still as stone when the formidable eyes locked onto his form.

"Your report, vampire," his voice was almost gentle, as though he were suggesting the vampire should simply take a seat, and Ciel felt his own shoulders tighten in dread at the soft tone.

"There were three vampires, one master with two fledglings. The three each had a vast number of ghouls under their control. Their nest spans the entire underneath of the graveyard in a network of tunnels," Ciel glanced at the ground before him in interest, "designed to form a maze to ensnare any prospective invaders."

"Show me,"

The vampire turned stiffly and began the trek to the weathered cherub, the others following wordlessly. Once they had gathered about the base of the old statue, Alucard pointed to a hole hidden in the long, unkempt strands of grass that was the size of what a mole might burrow.

"This is where I entered the tunnels. Multiple parties of ghouls met me periodically throughout them."

Ciel frowned at the size of the "entrance".

"You say you entered through here?" He asked, voice tight with skepticism, but the vampire nodded mutely and Ciel turned to Abraham for an explanation.

"Vampires can pass their corporeal bodies through any opening so long as one exists. I myself have witnessed a vampiress," Abraham winced slightly, "pass through a door opened no wider than to permit the insertion of a knife's blade as easily as if the door were fully open. We have yet to understand how this is possible." Ciel hummed in thought at that, and absently wondered if Sebastian were capable of doing so as well.

He was distracted from his thoughts as Abraham waved them back.

"Alucard, widen the entrance. I would like to have these tunnels documented." Something twitched across the vampire's carefully blank face and disappeared before Ciel could study it.

The vampire stepped forward and bent low, bracing its feet, and the white gloves blurred as they tore at the wet soil. Black clods filled the air for a moment, then the vampire stepped back, absently beating his stubbornly pristine gloves together to rid them of nonexistent dirt before catching himself in the useless action. The other three stepped forward in unison to peer into the yawning opening at the feet of the cherub.

It was for naught as the newly excavated entrance was pitch-dark.

Ciel glanced at Sebastian and found him smirking while purposefully gazing everywhere but at the two humans. A second glance over the demon's shoulder revealed a faintly amused vampire as well. Ciel leveled a dry look in their direction which was answered by even larger smirks.

They can see just fine. Stupid, smug, mythic monsters.

Abraham sat back on his heels with a huff, unheeding of the others, before twisting about to emit a piercing whistle and waved a hand to an answering soldier. A moment later Abraham, with a bright lantern in hand, was following Alucard down into the bowels of the cemetery, Ciel, Sebastian, and four soldiers at his heels.

The flame of the lantern cast eerie shadows along the rough ridges of soil that rose up to encompass them, and their feet made soft shushing noises as they walked. Ciel had to swallow back a sudden wave of nausea as he realized the source of the sound was piles of downy ash from the slaughtered ghouls.

As they walked through the tunnels, mapping and recording everything of note as they went, Alucard continued his report. He explained how the vampires hadn't been reckless, that they were older and smarter than the others the Hellsing Organization had dispatched, that they were simply ignorant of their own natures, and that they did not know how to stop making ghouls. He explained how he navigated the maze in a body of mist in order to avoid wasting time on eliminating ghouls and to conceal himself from the watching eyes of the vampires.

He led them to the chamber in which he had slaughtered the youngest, pointing out her specific ash pile amongst the dirt and sticky blood. A soldier stepped forward and collected a sample in a small glass vial and the company moved on. Alucard continued to the tunnel where he had felled the master vampire and samples were again taken and Ciel frowned distastefully at the streaks of blood that shone dark and wetly from the all sides.

Finally, Alucard led them to a final chamber. It was fair in size, and the coffins of the long deceased were shoved carefully to the side. Two piles of ash near the entrance marked the demise of the Undead.

"This was the eldest fledgling's nest. She was accompanied by two ghouls, whom she directed to attack me as a diversion while she made her escape."

"Escaped where?" Abraham questioned.

Alucard lifted a long arm to point at the suddenly noticeable square of dirt carved into the ceiling of the tomb. Long, vicious claw marks along the sides denoted the desperation of escape and the ferocious glee of pursuit.

"She made it to the surface?" Abraham asked, his voice carrying the slightest hint of contempt, and Ciel saw the vampire's jaw muscles clench at the faint implication of incompetence.

"Yes," Both Abraham and Ciel blinked as the two servants answered in unison, and Alucard darted a quick, suspicious look in Sebastian's direction.

"You…you saw the vampiress? You didn't engage with her, did you?" Abraham had to ask, even though he could guess from the butler's previous actions.

Sebastian's lips curled slightly.

"Indeed I did. I happened upon her exit just as she sprung from the ground. From the look on her face and her additional haste, I could only presume that Alucard was in hot pursuit. Acting upon my master's orders to help bring the conflict to a close," Alucard looked bemusedly in Ciel's direction, "I threw a spoon at her to slow her escape." Abraham paled at that, despite knowing the butler was whole and hale.

"Slow her? You stopped her in her tracks," Alucard scoffed, and Sebastian gave a small bow of thanks before continuing.

"My silverware struck her in the heart and in her moment of immobilization Alucard seized her by the leg as he too emerged from the exit. He finished her off with admirable thoroughness." Abraham's intent gaze switched back and forth between the two.

"Show me," he finally said.

Alucard guided them back through the tunnels to the entrance, and Abraham instructed three of the men to finish marking the passageways and recording the contents of all accessible burial chambers. The fourth man accompanied them to the site of the final vampiress' death.

The exit hatch was a chaotic mess of upset dirt, pools of blood, trampled grass, and a streak of ash about the length of a human body. Upon request, Alucard and Sebastian demonstrated where and how the messy affair had taken place, and the soldier collected a final sample.

They dropped the fourth soldier back off at the entrance to join the other soldiers and silently made their way back to the carriages. At length they were rejoined by the entirety of the remaining soldiers for departure.

***

Some distance away, cloaked in the inky shadows of the forest, a small grouping of feral, gleaming eyes tracked the movements of the company winding through the white tombstones. Then, as though they were responding to an unknown signal, the owners of the eyes wheeled about and darted into the thick of the trees.

***

The carriage ride back to the Hellsing Estate was a silent one. Ciel could sense a palpable tension in the air, with an undercurrent of anger threading through it. His mind drifted continually back to the graveyard they had just departed from, feverishly analyzing every little detail.

The man had demonstrated an impressive adaptability to unforeseen situations, and a stalwart courage that inspired his men. Charismatic, and with utter faith in his men's capability and they in turn trusted him to lead them through the madness. Such abilities were not to be taken lightly, and were often wasted in the corruption of the Queen's noble court, Ciel thought bitterly, feeling a flash of indignation for Abraham's plight, before shoving it aside.

There was little point in agonizing over the unfairness of life, especially when such energy could be used to even the playing field. Even with the man glaring daggers at him from across the carriage (he probably thought that Ciel was escalating things too quickly), Ciel felt an anticipating smile creep across his face.

You present an exciting challenge, Mr. Hellsing.

Although, this wasn't a game to be taken lightly, Ciel reminded himself. The Queen herself had been persistent that he meet Hellsing, had already began funding the Organization…because the man's occupation was vital to the whole of England.

The man had been quite right when he had shouted, that there was no place to run, no place to hide when this kind of savagery roamed the land. It couldn't be bargained with and likely couldn't be frightened into submission.

Ciel glanced at the disgraced vampire that was lounging with a belying nonchalance on his section of the bench near the carriage window. The creature was gazing out the window, view unhindered by a reflection (curious, that). The fiery gaze shifted, however, to stare at him by way of his own reflection and Ciel fought back a shudder as the memory of a snarling monster with flashing fangs loomed large in his thoughts. "Tamed" though this vampire might be, it would take but the merest slip of control and the creature would come for them all. It was beaten, but hardly broken (and wasn't that an interesting thing to consider? Ciel thought it hinted rather strongly at Abraham's character in dealing with such a monster).

No, to be safe from this type of plague, the infected would have to be exterminated, and Ciel would ensure that there would always be a line of defense between them and the peoples of England.

***

Their arrival at the Hellsing Estate produced another flurry of activity that no one was in the mood for. Ciel graciously declined Abraham's invitation to stay the night and the Phantomhive duo quickly departed.

The last the Hellsing Director and his pet vampire saw of them was a cheery salute of goodbye from the grinning Phantomhive Butler.

Movement about the Hellsing Manor eventually slowed and a weary Abraham found himself once again facing his sulking vampire from across his desk. That dread from days earlier was visibly building in the creature and Abraham was exhausted and frustrated enough to consider putting off his ruling of the vampire's actions tonight until the next night and letting the creature stew in its trepidation.

He quickly put that notion out of his mind, however. It would be spiteful and petty of him to do so, especially when the vampire hadn't technically done anything wrong. Abraham did not much like Alucard, but he would not be cruel unless the vampire gave him reason to be…which Alucard had done amply in the past.

Besides, the vampire was not at fault for Abraham's poor performance in front of the earl. Oh, but that stung, and he clamped down on the despairing feeling that he had somehow ruined any chance of alliance with the earl. That the boy would see him as incompetent, a waste of time, which would further disappoint the Queen… but no. There was naught to be done about it now, and Abraham knew that even should the Queen disenfranchise him he would never stop hunting the Undead.

Even should he loose his organization, he would still have his vampire, which was admittedly far more key to successful hunts than a band of soldiers.

"You performed adequately tonight." Alucard gave a start as Abraham's voice ended the heavy silence in the large office.

"Go now and rest. I will summon you when I need you." The vampire stared at him, something unfathomable swimming in the depths of his eyes, before bowing stiffly and retreating.

Abraham fiddled about with some reports, knowing there was much in the way of paperwork that needed done, but he soon retired to bed when the cleanly printed letters began to slide off the crisp pages in his sleep muddled gaze.

***

Alucard dreamt that night.

He dreamt of many things.

He dreamt of long, empty stone halls filled with shadow and dust and the quiet presence of age.

He dreamt of soil watered with blood and sweat, upturned by stomping, armored feet and the lash of horse hooves.

He dreamt of a cold, metal table beneath him, an icy blade laying him open, bright light flashing above him, fusing with the cold-icy-blue disappointed regard of a man that found him unworthy and wanting.

He dreamt of want. Kneeling in the dirt in want, gazing into the sun-flamed sky in want, breathing in the scent of Death and War in want.

He dreamt of evil eyes that glared down at him in want. Such awful, bilious want. Greedy, cruel, unending want that promised to give and give in return for everything. A fair trade, his everything for his want. Blood that tasted of hollow want kissed his tongue even as a bloodstained axe kissed his neck. The evil eyes laughed and laughed and in his want he could not find it in himself to be ashamed.

He dreamt that the evil eyes were a swirling sea of diseased fuchsia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole thing about vampires squeezing into or through small spaces is in reference to Lucy Westenra from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Hope you enjoyed!


	12. Assistance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Discalimer: I don’t own Hellsing, Kuroshitsuji, or Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I would be unstoppable if this were so.
> 
> Hey guys! So to explain my less than chatty self of late, was because of technical difficulties. Convenient excuse, I know, but nevertheless true. This will be the last posted chapter for a while. You guys are officially caught up with the folks over on Fanfiction.net, so chapter 13 will be pending for everyone now. I had it partially started before my technical difficulties popped up, so it is underway, but updates will be sporadic. I’m sorry T_T Thank you all so much for your support and without further ado, here is Chapter 12!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

There was a little hall nestled snugly in one of the dozens of London’s alleyways. It was a well-known and favorited hall among London’s middling class, lively and entertaining enough to break up the tedium of everyday affairs, and while it could hardly match the opulence of more famous and expensive halls frequented by London’s wealthy and noble, it was good enough for the coin it called for to participate.

Today this little hall was hosting a much looked forward to summer party, with all the expected fanfare of dancing, eating and drinking to invigorate the overheated, hardworking citizenry. Attending this little party, hosted by this little hall, was a man.

He was as common a man as any by all accounts: not too tall, not too short, face clean-shaven, neatly combed hair, quality clothing if a bit well-worn. His features were unremarkable, plain, and his entrance was little noticed as he mingled seamlessly with the mundane crowd. He allowed himself to be guided around the room, drink in hand, by the slow, centrifugal flow of bodies about him, gently pushing and pressing him from one group to the next, sampling tidbits of conversation as he went. Why yes, the buffet spread was a rather marvelous sight, tasted marvelous too, and don’t the musicians sound wonderful this time around? 

“My, but it will still be sunrise when we return home! Summer days, you know?”A young woman exclaimed.

“Oh? Don’t you remember they used to always begin this party in the early evening? There was one year when I didn’t return home until two o’clock in the morn and they were still dancing!” Came a gentleman’s answer.

“How strange! I won-…”

“Did you hear about that sweets shop closing?”

“…been readin’ the papers…?”

“The Durnboughs had a terrible row the other night, the whole street could hear them, her begging him not leave the house after sundown…”

“…always at night…”

“Strange happenings, make no mist-…”

“…reckon its them gypsies…”

“…policeman mentio-…”

“…a curfew, can you imagine?!”

The man concealed a smirk behind his glass at that last, indignant comment before letting the crowd draw him on once more. Over to one side was the dance floor, with its brightly dressed ladies and gentlemen twirling about, and then the crowd drew him by the banquet table. He set his glass down and snatched up a moist, crumbling pastry as he passed by and was corralled once more to a different location. This spot boasted a potted plant of some stature, and no one took notice of the unmemorable man’s disappearance behind it. Had they paid more attention, they would have seen one of many of the hall’s exit doors that led to the other rooms and chambers that comprised the entirety of the dance hall, with this one door somewhat obstructed by the potted plant’s healthy fronds.

The average man, who no longer seemed quite so average anymore, made his way swiftly down the corridor with a gait more akin to that of a soldier’s march than a civilian’s. He paused midway down the hall at the threshold of another door, licking the last of the pastry crumbs from his fingers. He rapped the wood sharply two times, waited seven seconds exactly, then gave another five sharp raps. 

The door opened smoothly with a waft of the reeking scent of cigar smoke, and the man was greeted by another man that was far from unobtrusive. If pressed for a description, one could say that the man bore a strong resemblance to a strongman from a circus poorly disguised as a gentleman.

The impressively, massive man glared down at him like an ill-tempered bear before huffing a grudging approval, then ushered him inside, closing the door firmly after him.

The man took a moment to eye his dim surroundings. The room was sparsely furnished, with thick, dark curtains covering the windows to stifle the glaring afternoon sun, and single table with two chairs. An oil lamp atop the table served as the room’s only source of light. A silver ash tray gleamed dully next to it, with a still smoking cigar butt soiling its glossy surface. The man stepped forward and seated himself in the hardwood chair nearest the door across from the already occupied one. The burly man remained by the door.

A proffered cigar was politely refused by the plain man, followed by an expectant silence that clung heavily to the room’s occupants.

“You have news?”

“The Earl is on the move,”

“And that concerns you? We suspected the Queen would let him off his leash from the beginning, we are not unprepared for this,”

“The boy isn’t alone,”

“Oh?”

“Our scouts have informed us of an ally the boy has acquired. A small military group by the look of it.”

“Is that all?” Scorn accompanied these words with a billow of cigar smoke.

“Not quite, our scouts spotted the Earl and company securing a cemetery that housed three Undead. There were losses but the Undead were exterminated.” A cautious hush followed that statement.

“How was this accomplished?”

“Our scouts claim the troops had a vampire of their own to assist them.”

“…You’re certain of this?”

“The information was solid, even coherent for this latest batch, and its described behavior and abilities match what we know to be true of the Undead,”

Gloved fingers rapped the tabletop in a contemplative rhythm for a moment and the plain man waited patiently. The other man glanced up at length and clasped his hands together.

“Thank you for bringing this news to our attention. We will notify if and when we wish for you to change your activities. Mr. Huxley,” a gesture in the grizzly man’s direction, “will escort you to the proper exit,”

“Good day, sir,” the ordinary man replied, and allowed the now named Mr. Huxley to usher him out.

The other man sat in quietude, observing the warm, pulsating flame of the oil lamp. His lips tightened about the cigar, causing flaky ash to spill to the otherwise immaculate table surface. This new vampire was a troubling, new variable, one that could potentially send everything pear-shaped if it hadn’t already. They needed to know the name of this military group, where they were stationed, who funded them… 

He took a deep breath, momentarily expelling his worries. All of that could wait until he had informed the others, no need to be hasty. It wasn’t like the Earl or this new group were any closer to disrupting their plans. They had time to account for this vampire and react accordingly.

The odds were still very much against the little Watchmutt.

***

“Thank you so much, Mr. Hellsing!” Abraham smiled and waved cheerily in response at the bed-ridden soldier before exiting the room. The smile disappeared as he began the trek to his office. He had just finished visiting the surviving, wounded members of his troops. Such visits boosted moral and helped assuage his worries, if not his guilt. One of his soldiers had died the day after the disastrous labyrinth incident, but the rest were beginning to recover. 

Blast it! He couldn’t afford these losses! Recruits were hard enough to come by, let alone provide for, and it would take weeks before the rest of the men would be fit for duty. He knew the report he had sent off to the Queen would reflect very poorly on himself and dreaded the response.

If that weren’t enough, he still had to send letters of condolences to some of the families and help arrange for their burials. Guilt churned like an eel in his gut, and he had no one to blame, but himself. He raked a hand absentmindedly through his red locks. The Earl hadn’t called on him at all in the days following the incident either. His inner voice of optimism reminded him that the Earl had remained silent after their examination of the last reported case of missing persons. Of course, considering the perfect timing in which the Phantomhive duo arrived for their hunting departure, this meant that the Earl was monitoring him somehow during that time of non communication . 

Alucard had been behaving strangely of late as well. At least, more so than usual. The vampire was uncommonly tense, cranky, and Abraham had spied him eyeing the shadows mistrustfully on more than one occasion. Any inquiries about his new temperament resulted in unhelpful grunts, irritated hisses, and glowering looks. Alucard hadn’t misbehaved, despite his surliness, and with all the work piling onto his plate, Abraham had decided to let the vampire’s attitude slide for the time being.

He exhaled sharply through his nose as he approached his office door, and felt misery begin to constrict about his chest as he settled behind his desk and skimmed the list of deceased for his next letter of condolence. 

Alucard’s eyelids peeled back with a crackling sound akin to that of opening a well-used book for the first time in decades. His ever smoldering gaze was trained on the lid of his coffin with vexation. It was the middle of the day, far too early for him to be roused from his sleep. This was getting ridiculous. A simple dream (“It’s memory, No-Life King. You’ve lived long past the age in which most realize that the past is never forgotten,” He still hadn’t managed to rid himself of that pesky voice that had materialized lately) should not trouble him so.

He refused to call it a nightmare; for one, there wasn’t anything remotely terrifying about it, and for another, he didn’t get nightmares. He could and certainly did inspire and star in other peoples’ nightmares, but he had long ago purged any weakness that would make him vulnerable to such childish things. Such…human affairs.

He was better than this, stronger than this.

He closed his eyes stubbornly, determined to find sleep once more in the comfort of his home soil, only to find a pair of awful, fuchsia eyes leering back at him from the back of his eyelids. His eyes creaked open again. He shut them a second time and…yes, the eyes were still there. He could have sworn on his coffin that one eye had the gall to wink at him. Something told him that it would be unwise for his sanity, not to mention immature, to attempt a staring contest with the boiling orbs, but he was nonetheless tempted. 

Casting about for a distraction, he captured his master in the scope of his Third Eye and watched for several moments, immersing himself in the wash of his master’s anger, frustration, exhaustion, and an additional myriad of soppy emotions that Alucard himself never bothered with.

Well, at least his master was worse off than he was.

Settling back into his soil and the satin lining of his coffin, Alucard allowed himself to float adrift in his master’s churning emotions, in the dank smell of Hellsing’s dungeons, and to the familiar rhythm of marching soldiers’ drills. Sleep came to him uneasily soon after…

… “ALUCARD!” A brief spark danced across the Hellsing seals inked into his gloves.

“Uuurrrghh,” a gurgled moan of complaint issued from the back of Alucard’s throat, as he glared blearily at the roof of his coffin.

He removed the lid and stepped out carefully, and, with contrasting carelessness, stomped out of his cell, up the stairs, and up through the Hellsing mansions levels to his accursed his master’s office. A deep growl was emanating from his throat and he forced himself not to mangle the office door knob in his furious grip, and stepped in with his eyes snapping.

He halted in the threshold, snarling grimace frozen on his face.

The first thing he noticed was Abraham seated behind his desk with his elbows propped on top and his head cradled into his hands. That wasn’t so unordinary a sight, Alucard had prompted that response from his master on more than one occasion, and it didn’t typically end well for the vampire.

The second thing he noticed was that one of the chairs placed before Abraham’s desk for visitors and company was occupied. The third thing he noticed was the figure standing behind the taken chair.

The final thing he noticed was Abraham taking notice of his arrival and opening his mouth to address his recalcitrant servant.

Alucard did not fully understand what was taking place, nor how it was about to involve him, but his exhaustion and fury at having his already restless sleep interrupted combined to propel him forward in an irrational effort to add to his master’s apparent beleaguerment.

“ Hello, Earl and butler! It’s only been a few days, but it feels like years since we last we met!” A toothy grin replaced the snarl on his face and he swaggered forward with alarming exuberance, completely ignoring his master.

Sebastian smiled with polite serenity, while the little Earl smirked up at him with mischief shining from his single eye. A warning furrow appeared in between Abraham’s eyes as his mouth slowly shut. Alucard felt his grin grow larger.

“Good afternoon, Alucard. It seems we have awoken you earlier than is usual for your kind, I do apologize,” Ciel replied, though he didn’t seem the least bit apologetic.

Alucard softened his grin to something more regal and gracefully lowered himself into the other chair. 

“It is no trouble, Earl Phantomhive. May I ask what brings you to our humble estate and what business you have that would call for my presence?” He replied with aplomb.

He privately reveled in the surprised amusement and interest that flitted across the Earl’s face as well as the shock and not unfair suspicion that flitted across Abraham’s face. He had been a prince of a nation in the midst of a holy war in his human life, and served as a nobleman and count for most of his vampiric life. He could play the role of elegant, aloof nobleman just as well if not better (probably better) than the fickle children in the Queen’s court, and was more than willing to do so in this new game the boy was engaging in. Sebastian was just as impassive as ever, but Alucard was confident he could change that in the future.

 

“It’s quite simple, really, we’ve invited Mr. Hellsing and yourself on a little vacation,” Alucard blinked.

“Pardon?” The boy sighed and his head dipped in disappointment.

“Really now, I thought vampires were supposed to have superb hearing. I said that we’ve invited both you and Mr. Hellsing on a little vacation. We’ll be staying in a town house I have there for about a week and whilst we are enjoying our time there we will also be attending a a ball of some renown. I think we could all use a break from the stresses of our occupations. Certainly, it would benefit Mr. Hellsing to enjoy more positive interactions that don’t involve ghouls, death, and late night outings to haunted cemeteries, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Ah,” was all Alucard could manage, and he thought he could now sympathize with his master’s current displeasure. 

He rather felt like burying his head in his hands as well.

“Why, would you wish for me to attend this?” Alucard asked, dropping his pretense in favor of his mounting alarm, “I happen to enjoy ghouls, death, and late night outings to haunted cemeteries. I am a vampire, you understand,” he stressed, intuitively knowing that no amount of reasoning was going to matter, especially if the unholy glee in the child’s eye was anything to go by.

“Why, I wish to enjoy your enchanting company, of course,” Ciel replied with a winning smile, “Isn’t that right, Sebastian?”

“Quite so, my lord,”

Alucard’s eyes met Abraham’s and, for once, found themselves to be in perfect agreement. This was going to be a disaster, and they were going to be miserable for the duration of it.

Alucard turned to Ciel once more with a solemnly blank expression.

“Are you possessed?” A soft sound like a snort disguised as a cough came from Sebastian, but Alucard was too dismayed to enjoy it, “What in the world made you think this was a good idea?”

Ciel exchanged knowing glances with Sebastian…

(Flashback)

“Sebastian would you fetch me Sir Alistair’s information?”

“Certainly, sir,” Sebastian eyed the stack of files critically.

“May I ask what the young master is researching?”

“I am attempting to root out some support for Mr. Hellsing’s organization. Psh, this one won’t do, he’s far too mouthy,” Ciel tossed a file in Sebastian’s direction with contempt.

“An excellent idea, young master, and how will you bring them together? These men will, justifiably, wish to know precisely what they are paying to support,” Sebastian asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ciel hummed in thought.

“I suppose I could always do what the Queen did to me and force them to meet…”

“~CIIEEELLLLL~!!!” The voice of a young girl erupted in the hushed study with a force of an elephant’s trumpet.

Ciel started and his sudden movement jostled the stack of information, causing it to cascade to the floor in a waterfall of paper. In the next breath, a blur topped with perfect curls of blonde hair pounced on the young Earl and began to chatter incessantly.

“Lizzie-..,” Ciel squeaked in protest, attempting to politely extricate himself from his fiancé’s tenacious grip while Sebastian watched on in amusement.

“Oh Ciel! It’s been forever! How come you don’t invite me over more often? How have you been? What are you working on? Come! Let’s have afternoon tea! Oh, did you know? One of the Queen’s knights is holding a ball this coming week? Everyone will be there, and there’ll be great food, and dancing, and everyone will be dressed in such CUTE clothes…!”

Ciel was still struggling to get a word in edgewise, and Sebastian leaned down to tidy up the papers littering the study floor.

“It sounds like great fun! We’ll be attending of course, and I was wondering if you would come too? Oh please say yes! It’ll be so much better with you there!”

“Lizzie, I don’t think I’ve even received an invitation…,” 

“One arrived in yesterday’s mail, my lord,” Ciel shot Sebastian a poisonous look.

Sebastian shrugged delicately before setting the neat stack of folders in his arms on the desk top and began to leave with the intention of bringing back afternoon tea, already knowing how this little one-sided conversation was going to go, as Elizabeth cheered.

He paused however when he heard the young Earl say, “Yes, Lizzie, I will most certainly be attending the ball!”

Sebastian blinked. Well, that had ended quickly. He turned back around to observe that Elizabeth looked equally as stunned as he felt and a little unsure.

“Y-you will?”

“Yes, I will. As you said, this should be a fun party, and there’ll be lots of important people, and its good to socialize and make friends, don’t you agree,” Ciel shot Sebastian a pointed look before Elizabeth squealed, pulled the boy from his chair, and began to spin in circles with him.

“Gah! Lizzie!”

“I’m so happy, Ciel! I can hardly wait! What shall we do this afternoon? We could have tea in the gardens! Or we could..”

“Lizzie, I am very busy right now,” Ciel interrupted.

Elizabeth hesitated. While she was still as exuberant as ever, the revelations shared between Elizabeth and Ciel during their time together aboard the Campania had changed many things in their relationship. The revelation that Ciel was not only accepting of her more non-traditional interests and talents, but actually preferred that to her immature, air-headed pretense had resulted in a marked change of her behavior. She had begun to openly express serious consideration and comprehension about her fiancé’s endeavors and work, and Ciel found himself to be far more tolerant of her presence because of it. 

Accordingly, she listened to him now when he said he was busy and set him down.

“Ah, I’m sorry Ciel, I didn’t mean to interrupt your work…is there anything I could assist you with? You look to be researching something,” She asked, eyeing the stack Sebastian had set down.

Ciel found his stubbornness eroding before look of dejection that she had not quite managed to conceal.

“There’s no need to apologize. I think it’s time I took a small break anyway…would you perhaps like to fence with me? We could have tea in the atrium afterwards, if you’d like,” Ciel’s face softened as Elizabeth’s lit up.

Sebastian smirked to himself and left to prepare the afternoon tea. He was going to look forward to this.

(End Flashback)

“Come now, it won’t be so bad,” Ciel assured, “There will be very important people at this party, who knows? Maybe one will take a liking to you. Wouldn’t that be something?” The merry spark in the boy’s eye slowly sharpened into a pointed glance and Abraham quickly found himself reconsidering his whole outlook on the Earl’s invitation.

Alucard groaned inwardly as he saw a potential alliance with his master against this insane child and odd butler rapidly fade into non-existence.

“Well now that that’s settled, I do see that you are busy with important matters at this time. Sebastian and I will return tomorrow to pick you both up. We still have arrangements to make, transporting your coffin inconspicuously for one thing, and acquiring suitable clothing for the both of you..,”

“I have fine enough clothes,” Abraham sputtered indignantly.

As one, Ciel and Sebastian found themselves looking to Alucard, who shared a sage, knowing look with them.

“I am not opposed to new clothes,” Alucard commented.

“No one asked your opinion in this matter, servant,” Abraham snapped.

An awkward stillness fell over the office as Ciel and Sebastian watched this new dynamic between master and slave.

In truth, Alucard had been behaving in a manner Ciel would never have found acceptable coming from Sebastian, nor would any other nobleman have from someone of lower station. It was not Alucard’s place to dismiss his master, or to argue contrary to his master’s wishes, regardless of whether or not his master was being absurd or not. Indeed, Ciel did think Abraham was being rather pigheaded, but he also knew that their new relationship was not strong enough to survive any interference from his end, and even if it were, it was not his place to interfere with Abraham’s authority or expectations of his servants’ behavior.

Abraham’s glare did not waver from his vampire’s and Alucard eventually glanced away with a low “Yes, Master,”.

The stillness persisted for a moment longer before Ciel broke it once more.

“You have clothes then? Hmm, what year were they made in, who were they tailored by, are they from England or some foreign brand…?”

“What does that have to do with…?”

“Mr. Hellsing, this is a ball being held by one of London’s most prestigious nobleman, top of the rank! Not only must you have suitable clothing, but you will be expected to be dressed in the latest fashion, furthermore in the latest fashion for the summer.” Abraham scowled, and Ciel leaned forward, all lightheartedness vanished.

“Forgive my forthrightness, Mr. Hellsing, but you are no longer of the middling class, no longer a common man, or some foreign upstart. You are entering the ranks of England’s nobility now. The higher echelons of society will either know of or have heard rumors of your business with the Queen, and will hold you under tight scrutiny. I think this could prove to be an excellent starting point for you…and I am prepared to help you succeed in this,” Abraham was taken aback, and he felt the first few tendrils of hope and relief twine around his heart.

“I understand, Earl Phantomhive,” Abraham solemnly replied, “I feel I must apologize for my reluctance. I am of course very grateful and appreciative of any help. Thank you for presenting this opportunity to me.”

Ciel gave an accepting nod, a soft smile hinting at the corners of his lips.

“You are most welcome. Now, as for the state of your wardrobe, I believe I shall schedule an appointment with Nina Hopkins of the Hopkins Tailor Shop for you. She is, after all, at the helm of the leading fashion trends,”

Puzzlement flickered across the young Earl’s face as the vampire gave a loud snort of laughter and Abraham’s face glowed a slight pink with chagrin.


	13. Embarking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and OC’s. 
> 
> A/N: WOW! Sorry for the long wait you guys! Excuse time: College, two jobs, tech troubles, and leading an adult life sort of took priority. Also, this chapter and for the sake of future chapters actually required me to do research. Oh the hours spent googling and reading, taking notes and brainstorming scribble-sketches. UGH. I found this one website that went over the stuff Yana Toboso does to produce her work and was greatly impressed by the sheer lengths she goes to in order to not only visualize the 19th century for us, but to also put her own twist on it for her characters while still rendering a believable historical account. Bravo Toboso!
> 
> Thank you so much to all those who have left kudos, bookmarked, and comment throughout my sporadic updates! You guys are the best! Now, below lies the monstrously huge thirteenth chapter of Evil Nobility!
> 
> ~Happy Reading!~

The vampire stood with its coffin held securely in its embrace, eyes squinting in the morning sunlight as it dubiously examined the large carriage. Ciel fought not to tap his foot in impatience. Alucard had been half squinting/half glaring at their chosen mode of transportation for a good ten minutes now. Abraham stood to Ciel’s left, closest to the vampire, and was doing an even poorer job at concealing his increasingly sour mood. Sebastian stood next to the carriage seat, observing the vampire with his usual stoicism. They were all in turn being closely watched by the Hellsing butler, footman, and a curious troop of Hellsing soldiers huddled at the top of the front steps.

If Alucard felt at all uncomfortable under the weight of so many gazes he didn’t show it, continuing to glare balefully at the large, coffin-shaped space atop the carriage roof. Abraham stepped closer and the vampire’s embrace, already steadfast and secure, tightened further; Ciel half expected the wood to splinter.

“Alucard, quit wasting time and load your blasted coffin, now!” Abraham snapped.

The vampire’s lips wrinkled in growing agitation and the Hellsing Director spied a slight tremble running through Alucard’s shoulders as the Seals stung in warning. Abraham tilted his head back and breathed deeply to regain his composure, knowing that forcing the vampire at this point would result in a painful spectacle he would rather avoid having in front of the Earl and his butler. Time for a change of tactics.

“Alucard, why won’t you load your coffin? Is something wrong with the space we’ve cleared for you?” Abraham questioned in a patronizing tone usually reserved for those of slow wit.

Alucard’s narrowed eyes flickered to Abraham for a fraction of a second then back again to his stony vigil of the carriage top. Ciel shifted in discomfort, the morning sun beginning to warm his skin through the layers of his clothes. He was given a brief respite when the cool of Sebastian’s shadow swept over his form as the butler passed by on his way to the vampire and its master.

“ _This ought to be interesting_ ,” Ciel smirked inwardly.

Earlier, when Alucard had displayed the first warning signs of his displeasure, Abraham had kept his distance. He wouldn’t have bothered ordinarily, but Alucard had his coffin with him and seal or no seal it was best not to test the vampire’s temper when its coffin was involved. Abraham’s guests had followed his example up until this point.

He didn’t immediately notice Sebastian striding forward until the black-clad butler had moved past him to enter what Abraham had at some point during this little scene began to privately call “The Danger Zone” or alternatively “Alucard and his coffin”. By the time he managed to unhinge his jaw to give a cry of warning, and to unfreeze his joints to bodily sieze the insane servant, Sebastian was already at the point of no return. 

With the swift jerk of a striking snake Alucard’s gaze snapped from the carriage to lock gazes with the advancing butler, and a ringing snarl echoed off the face of the manor. One of the soldiers atop the porch gave a cry of warning and there was a small flurry of movement as the gathered soldiers trained their weapons on the bristling vampire. Abraham lifted a hand to stave off any further action; there were too many guns pointed in their direction and Sebastian was too close to Alucard to avoid injury.

Another silence, broken only by Alucard’s bone-shuddering growls, draped itself across the manor drive. Sebastian had paused when Alucard had snapped at him, just out of Abraham’s itching grasp, but still far too close for anyone’s viewing comfort. Anyone besides Ciel, that is, as the boy was leaning forward in acute interest 

Alucard was entirely unamused by the butler’s stoic proximity. At least the stupid man wasn’t giving him that closed-eyed smirk. In fact, Sebastian was giving him that same frown he bore when Alucard had frightened the little earl during their first meeting. There was disapproval in the cold gaze and…disdain? Alucard felt his upper lip curl higher; what did Sebastian have to feel disdainful over?!

“I am not the least bit impressed by this temper tantrum you’re having.” The continous growl cut off, Alucard narrowly managed to not choke on it in his surprise. 

“What a pathetic display for a vampire. I was given to understand that you were supposed to be some fearsome denizen from beyond the grave, not a whining brat.” Abraham’s eyes were rounder and his face starker than Alucard had ever seen behind Sebastian, and the soldiers on the manor porch were in much the same state.

The little earl’s mouth was puckered oddly; Ciel could count on one hand the number of times he had been witness to one of Sebastian’s lectures of the Phantomhive servants as the demon attempted to modulate its, well, demonic attitude, and Sebastian’s own lectures and cutting rebukes towards himself were even rarer, and often hidden beneath a mockingly polite attitude. In short, Sebastian could be verbally devasting when he wished and Ciel was looking forward to it being dished out to another supernatural creature with relish…provided that Sebastian didn’t ruin this whole Undead-hunting partnership via a dead Alucard before they even boarded the carriage.

“If there is something wrong with the provided arrangement for your coffin, then say so instead of balking like some piddling mutt,” Abraham’s face was a striking shade of white at this point, but Sebastian was far from finished.

“However…there isn’t actually anything the matter, is there? You’re just stalling, digging your heels in as it were, in some ill contrived attempt to force Abraham’s hand in to allowing you to stay ‘home’.” Sebastian’s eyelids lowered to half-mast as though in boredom, but there was a discernible sneer lingering at the end of that final word.

Home.

Alucard’s snarl had rapidly faded during Sebastian’s little speech, but came back in full force at that last statement, squinted eyes smoldering with renewed hostility.

“Be _silent_ , you…!” He began, but Sebastian continued.

“No, I don’t think I shall. You see, you are no master to me, to give orders to. I already have a master that has commanded that we embark this day, this hour, with you and your master in tow and I always fulfill my master’s wishes one way or another. One way is for you to cease this foolish and unbecoming behavior at once,” Sebastian’s voice, previously quiet and stern, dropped a menace-coated octave, “the other is that I force you to comply. What shall it be?”

Silence suffocated the front drive of the Hellsing Manor. Abraham dared not move, dared not to make a sound, fearing it would destroy whatever it was (certainly not the Seal or the vampire would be on the ground writhing) that was causing Alucard to refrain from launching the daft butler’s head beyond the Manor’s property line. The curious puckering around the Earl’s lips had vanished replaced by an intense scrutiny aimed at the vampire.

As for Alucard? Alucard’s expression had shuttered, the blazing fury winking out, the squint softening into a mirror of Sebastian’s own half-lidded appraisal. One corner of his lips ticked upwards in the smallest of smirks.

“Alright,”

Only then did Abraham’s mouth fall open and Ciel felt his eyebrows lodge somewhere in his hairline, as Alucard hefted his coffin, strode to the carriage as Sebastian smoothly stepped aside, and gingerly slid it into place. The coffin was shielded from exposure by a thick, cushioning blanket that was tenderly placed and tucked by its owner. The vampire turned then to take in the sight of his gawping master, the now borderline amused Earl and Butler, and the stricken troops still huddled like wayward chicks on the front porch of his still-gawping master’s manor. 

“You said we were leaving, yes?” Alucard directed this to Sebastian with the greatest of unconcerned airs, and Sebastian’s expression became more openly amused.

“Yes, fortunately we are still on schedule.” Sebastian turned to the Earl. “Are you ready for departure, my lord?” 

Ciel quickly composed his features, allowing distant annoyance to leak through, and waved a gloved hand impatiently.

“I have been ready, Sebastian. Will you join me Director Hellsing?” Abraham quickly suppressed his instinctive reactions with the emotions powering them, and decided that following the status quo would be his best course of action. 

“Of course, Earl Phantomhive. I apologize for the delay.” Abraham replied as he trailed after the young earl into the carriage. 

Ciel grunted in acknowledgement and settled primly on his favored seat as the Hellsing director followed suit. Neither master voiced any concern over the fact that their recently hostile servants were outside seating themselves together on the driver’s seat.

Alone. Without supervision.

Abraham met Ciel’s gaze and he sighed inwardly. 

It was going to be a long trip to London. 

***

Sebastian clucked softly and twitched the reins to the left. The sleek hides of the horses rippled under the late morning sun as they obediently shifted away from the deep ditches on either side of the road. Green fields of summer shimmered alongside them as a hot breeze stirred the long blades, bearing the scents of hay and wildflowers, the lowing of cattle, and the distant chatter of a flock of sparrows.

The demon butler reclined slightly, letting the myriad sensations of his surroundings wash over him. The role of carriage driver was often a boring, near mindless task. The same could be said of his normal butler tasks, but there was something about being out in the open with a carriage wall providing a thin but tangible barrier from his sometimes irksome, little master that lent a meditative calm for Sebastian. That and having many miles between himself and the three walking disasters also contributed to a more stress-free environment for the demon. 

Three miles of wordless silence passed them by, with only the creaking sound of leather harnesses, the rumble of wheels on hard-packed dirt, the murmur of voices from within the carriage, and a faintly growling nosferatu to create soothing background noi…

_Ah_.

Sebastian glanced over at his rather sullen companion, whom upon feeling sentient eyes alighting on his form returned a narrow look of his own.

“Honestly, look at you,” the vampire snorted after a moment, “basking like some cat. I half expected you to start purring.”

Sebastian hummed in answer and continued to eye the Undead seated by him. The vampire did look rather miserable all hunched up and head hanging low in some futile attempt to have its mane of black locks shield its face from the relentless sun. While a discomforted vampire was generally an amusing vampire in the view of most devils, Sebastian did not want Alucard to resent him too much. Not at this stage and certainly not to the point that it would hinder the workings of his master’s plans. A little sympathy, as it were, on his part was needed. 

The demon bunched the reins with care into one gloved hand and pawed carefully underneath their seat with the other until he felt his fingers slide not on wood or metal, but stiff fabric. The vampire frowned when the butler resurfaced from his bent posture with a stiff, dusty…something in its hand.

“What is that?” 

Sebastian proceeded to vigorously beat the weathered bit of cloth and distorted leather against the edge of the driver’s seat. Dust billowed for a moment and Alucard’s frown was heavy with misgivings as he examined the object in the butler’s hand. It was an earth-choked, brown fabric cast in what was once the shape of a dome, but was now caved in and lumpy with a faded strip of black leather adorning its base. A once wide and generous brim was crumbled and wrinkled nearly beyond recognition. Sebastian pulled and tugged at the edges until they resembled a more round path.

“I believe the local populace refer to this as being called a ‘hat’.” Sebastian’s voice was as dry as the road they were rolling down. 

The vampire’s frown curdled, but before he could deliver the snide comment he so wanted to make, Sebastian leaned over and lightly plopped the ancient ‘hat’ on the top of Alucard’s head. 

The relief was immediate and Alucard felt all protests slither back down his gullet. Grudgingly, his long hands lifted to adjust the hat more comfortably, and the sun-stressed lines on his face smoothed away. He turned to the butler who had already focused his attention back on the drive.

“Thank you.”

A cool brown eye slid over to meet burning orbs. 

“You are welcome.”

The jingling of the harnesses and the gentle _whuffs_ of breath from the horses filled the silence for another mile. 

“Have you a death wish?” A cool brown eye slid over once again to meet burning orbs.

“Not that I have noticed. Why?” Sebastian asked somewhat surprised by the abrupt nature of the question.

Alucard shifted, now also able to recline comfortably with the aid of the rumpled hat shading his face.

“I am a vampire and you are a human. You insult and taunt me at almost every turn, you only recently just dressed me down in front of our masters and the troops. You also have a bizarre habit of engaging in close combat with ghouls and fully fledged vampires equipped with nothing but silverware…”

Sebastian merely waited with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t think you’ve once been frightened of me. Not when we first met and I terrified your master, not when you saw me decimating that horde of ghouls, and not when you saw me slaughter that wretched vampiress. Not once.” Sebastian now turned to look Alucard full in the face. 

“Even my master, Abraham Van Hellsing, has feared me at one point or another. I have never met a man like you. Humans don’t act in the manner you do around me; they would be considered all around suicidal. I would say you aren’t one, but all my senses tell me that’s precisely what you are.” 

Sebastian gazed at him a moment longer.

“It does not offend you, that I am not frightened by you?”

Alucard’s shoulders rolled in a gentle shrug, allowing Sebastian his little diversion, “The first time perhaps, but now…now I am intrigued. There is far more to you than meets the eye, Butler Sebastian, and so long as our acquaintance is kept I intend to unravel the little mystery you present,” The demon was fully aware of the threat prowling behind those words.

The No-Life-King was not completely taken in by his human butler routine, and his competence merged with his delicately calculated and distributed hostility, and servant rapport had piqued the enslaved vampire’s interest. _Excellent_.

Sebastian unleashed a sharp grin and Alucard’s eyes flared in response.

“I look forward to it, Vampire Alucard.”

The searing flare of Alucard’s eyes hardened then and his mouth flattened into a thin frown.

“Don’t think I’ve forgiven your slights to my current position, either. I meant what I said in that infested cemetery, and you have only added more coals to a punishing fire.”

“Oh, I know…” Sebastian sighed in what Alucard would have considered fond exasperation had it been almost anyone but the Phantomhive Butler.

*** 

“Well, Mr. Hellsing, would you care to explain that little ‘delay’?” Ciel’s eyes were trained on the passing scenery, his slender hand cupping his chin as he rested his elbow on the window sill of the carriage.

“I apologize once more for that disgraceful scene,” Abraham began, “the vampire, though bound to my will, is stubborn and does not always reason in the manner of men. Understanding what the driving force is behind Alucard’s behavior is instrumental in dealing with him effectively. I couldn’t tell if his obstinacy stemmed from his protective instincts for his resting place, from the change in his sleeping patterns combined with sun exposure tampering with his temperament, or, as your servant accurately deduced, if he was lashing out. Given his volatile nature, I believed it best to “coax” rather than force until I could determine the root of his actions.” 

Ciel pondered this for a moment.

“The Seal…you explained that it binds Alucard to you and punishes him by inflicting pain when he fails to respond?” Abraham nodded, watching the boy closely.

“Why didn’t you just let the Seal take care of it? Dogs do not possess a man’s reasoning, yet we expect their obedience in all circumstances, in what way does Alucard differ? You gave a command, Alucard ought to have obeyed regardless. A nobleman should not have to wheedle his servants to comply.” All of this was spoken with Ciel’s eyes still trained on the passing terrain.

Abraham watched him closely. The boy’s face was impassive, body nonchalant, and the words, underlined with cool callousness as they were, had been spoken with no more regard than one might have when discussing tax law. Abraham was not fooled. The boy was testing him, testing either his ability and willingness to command his vampire or his character as a master.

“Indeed, a master should not have to beg the obedience of his servants. However, a master must also know his servants and their limits. A master that is cruel might win the compliance of his servants for a short time, but such a relationship would be frail and easily destroyed, and what chance will such a man stand when his own support system guts him?” Abraham shook his head, his mouth a grim line. 

“Alucard loathes me now as it is. The only way to gain complete obedience from him at this time would be to break him, snuff out whatever hellish inner flame there is fueling him, render him a shell of what he once was. Make no mistake, I could very well do this…” Ciel at last turned to face him, his single cerulean eye piercing, “…but I won’t. It is not necessary and I am not a cruel man. The other option is to punish him for every single infraction, great or small, leave him no room to maneuver, impress upon him the true powerlessness of his position. There is no need for that; he is well aware of his position and this route would break him in the long term. That or drive him more insane than he already is.” Abraham inhaled and exhaled through his nose, his face showing his age more than ever.

“Far better for the both of us if I choose my battles wisely with him.”

“How tiresome,” Ciel smirked, but his single eye had softened slightly with approval and Abraham quirked his own lips in response.

“What of your servants, Earl Phantomhive?”

“What of them?”

“That butler of yours…he is not just competent he is astonishing. Has he always been with your family, or did you acquire him from somewhere?”

Ciel responded with an elegant shrug, “I acquired him. Where he comes from I know not, where he gained his skill sets I know not, nor do I much care. He does what I ask of him and that is sufficient for me.”

Curiosity burned within Abraham, for Ciel’s response generated more questions than provided answers. The upperclass rarely hired on employees that were complete unknowns, let alone those so amply talented, particularly when such individuals tended to blaze their own trail of success. However, with as dismissive as the boy had been Abraham correctly decided not to press further in that particular regard. Not at this time. 

Abraham released a rueful laugh, “Well, at least he wasn’t as difficult to manage as Alucard, surely?”  
Ciel snorted.

“No, not as difficult, though he did require some guidance…he couldn’t even brew tea properly at the beginning of his employment. He essentially served me hot, brown water on his first try,” Abraham chuckled softly both at the mental image the boy’s words conveyed and at the remembered disgust reappearing on the little earl’s face.

The two were quiet for a moment then, and Abraham seized the lull in conversation as a chance to listen for any brewing trouble from outside the carriage. Specifically from the area of the driver’s seat. Nothing alarming reached his straining ears and he settled back more comfortably in his seat. 

The rest of their ride to London was passed in what Abraham would tentatively describe as amiable silence.

***

The Phantomhive Butler had sat up straighter as they entered the streets of London, the vampire following his lead as the two navigated the bustling traffic of the city’s everyday activities with keen eyes.

Alucard drank in the rushing movement of humanity with relish. The only times he was permitted to leave the Hellsing grounds was for hunts and those times were consumed with eliminating the target, clean-up, and being bundled back to the Manor in wait for the next. No time for sight-seeing or exploration. 

Casting off his annoyance with the sun, Alucard carefully examined the flow of traffic, the dress of the people walking to and fro, and the businesses framing the streets. He breathed in the stench of burning coal, fresh-baked goods, oily fish, and the enticing aroma of fresh blood pulsing within the throng of questionably clean citizens. His sharp ears caught the distant whistles of trains, ship horns, street vendors bellowing their wares, and children shrieking and laughing as they romped through the bowels of London Town. It would never be his first pick for a change of scenery in his unwanted life as a slave…but it was better than nothing. 

The smells soured in his nose abruptly and the noise of the city was suddenly too loud and grating. He was so tired of settling for one step above nothing. 

_Yes, I am tired, but I can’t afford to act foolishly. Insulting as Sebastian was earlier, his chiding did serve as a reminder. I must remember that time is on my side and no amount of protesting is going to stop Hellsing. Let time and his own folly be the death of him and spare myself some avoidable pain and humiliation._

He refocused on his surroundings as Sebastian pulled lightly on the reins, drawing the horses to a stop, and glanced at the storefront they had halted by. Hopkins The Tailor. They had arrived. A realization also arrived in Alucard’s mind as he gazed at the mannequin torsos dressed in the trendiest modern cuts displayed in the shop window. It was such an obvious thing, and he inwardly cursed himself for not thinking of this sooner. 

“She will recognize me,” he blurted out, as Sebastian began to leave the driver’s seat.

The butler paused and gave him a questioning look. 

“The tailor. Nina Hopkins. I have been in her shop before to have a gentlemen’s evening suit tailored before…before my time with Hellsing.” Sebastian laughed softly. 

“Forgive me, Mr. Alucard, but I would not concern myself with Ms. Hopkins. Though she is a tailor and fashions apparel for all ages and sexes, Ms. Hopkins has an enduring dislike and disinterest for any man over the age of fifteen.” Alucard eyebrows flew to his hairline, but Sebastian continued on. 

“While I am sure you might have made an impression on her in your first encounter, might I remind you that your appearance has been, well, drastically altered…” Sebastian eyed Alucard’s mane of inky curls and plain servant’s clothing meaningfully. “You will hardly garner her attention as a servant. Leave the talking to our masters and myself.”

“What of her employees?” Alucard asked, accepting the truth in Sebastian’s words.

Ms. Hopkins had been rather curt and abrasive with him now that he thought back on it. 

“What of them? People have a fascinating habit of dismissing anything out of the ordinary if acknowledgement of it threatens the daily happenings of their lives. Surely, in your time as a vampire, you’ve paid witness to this? For all that can be said of Hopkins The Tailor, I have always found its employees to be swift and discreet. It will be fine.” An impatient knocking came from within the carriage. 

“Come and secure the horses while I liberate our waiting masters.” A wicked smirk curled the butler’s lips for a moment. 

“What is it?” 

“Again, forgive me, it is most improper of myself as a servant to entertain such thoughts, but I cannot wait to see what your master and Ms. Nina Hopkins will make of each other,” 

Alucard loosed a startled laugh and Sebastian’s smirk grew wider. 

***

As Abraham crossed the threshold of the tailor shop a heavy feeling of dread settled on his being. A glance around the innards of the shop did not sway that pooling feeling as he spied rows of extravagant silk, chiffon, and organdie in a myriad of colors and patterns, and modeled outfits with accessories all ranging from stylish formals to outrageously edgy to wildly inappropriate. 

“~Oh girls~! I sense the presence of a young man…!” Abraham quelled a shudder as a distinctly predatory and feminine voice reached their ears.

His dread was then justified and rewarded as a trio of women, dressed in what he could only presume was supposed to be cutting edge designs in the fashion world (really though it looked more like a blind man had been set loose in a closet and selected different articles of clothing at once for these women to model), sprung from seemingly nowhere, striking the most gaudy and grandiose poses he had ever witnessed.

“Welcome to Hopkins The Tailor!” Trilled the woman in the middle and Abraham gulped silently before composing himself.

“Hello, Nina.” Ciel greeted.

“Oh Earl!” The middle woman’s face lit up in delight and Abraham tensed warily as she swooped down upon their small company. 

“Don’t tell me! You’re here for that upcoming party aren’t you? Little Lady Elizabeth already dropped by weeks ago for a new gown, such a lovely thing too with a bustle that…” Abraham tried not to stare as the now named Nina began to wax poetic about the majestic outline of cascading folds of fabric produced by the bustle of women’s skirts with misty eyed reverence.

“Your enthusiasm for your trade is as boundless as ever,” Sebastian interjected in a dull tone.

“…oh allow me to design you a matching outfit, Ciel! It would be…” Nina paused mid-sentence as both Sebastian’s words and presence registered with her, and fiery passion was replaced with irritated contempt.

“Of course you would be here…” she muttered and then blinked in consternation as she took in the additional presences of Abraham and Alucard.

“Oh? Who are these shoddily dressed gentlemen and what are they doing in my esteemed tailor shop?” Abraham was unable to keep himself from spluttering at her blatant insolence while Alucard did his best to mimic Sebastian’s solemn subservient air to avoid inspection.

“Now Nina, don’t be so hard on my newest business acquaintance…” Ciel began with a smirk.

“Newest business acquaintance? Ah…is this…Watchdog business, then?” Nina asked, now running a more appraising eye over the Hellsing duo.

“Director Abraham Van Hellsing will be attending this party in my company. Neither I or he can afford to be seen with him in this form of dress at an event that will host England’s most integral figureheads.” Ciel replied in answer. “I am commissioning you to tailor a new dress suit for Mr. Hellsing’s debut…and a suit matching Lizzie’s, please.” A teasing wink of the boy’s single eye was sent Nina’s way and the woman visibly melted in adoration.

Adoration that promptly vanished as she swung her bespectacled gaze back to Abraham’s ordinary attire. Abraham restrained both the urge to shrink back and to puff up in indignation, as he knew neither response would affect a woman of this breed anymore than it would a charging ghoul. Compliance would serve him best in this matter and surely the earl would assis…no, the boy would be no help, his smirk was of tellingly large proportions.

“Very well,” Nina began to draw herself to her full height, “Mr. Drab-“

“It’s ‘Mr. Hellsing’ actually…” 

Nina continued as though he hadn’t spoken, “I shall transform you, nay!, _transfigure_ your stodgy, unremarkable, tasteless…” Abraham squawked in protest, “…civilian attire into that of a crowning jewel set in the midst of the Queen’s treasury of noblemen!” 

Nina’s eyes were flashing above a wolfish grin and Abraham stared as she loudly continued to proclaim the utter majesty of his future apparel. He glanced at the others and found Ciel to be quietly amused, Sebastian in apologetic resignment, and Alucard mutely (for once) attempting to blend in with his surroundings. Fat chance of that; while his clothes did not possess the quality of Sebastian’s, they nonetheless cut a similar severe figure against the backdrop of shimmering fabrics, much like a pair of ravens in a host of peacocks.

“…~ _yes_ ~…” Nina’s sibilant hiss tore Abraham’s gaze back around and he watched in growing alarm as she seemed to swell with ominous import, “~ _The fountains of my imagination are running over!_ ~”. 

Abraham did _not_ squeak in fear as Nina’s two assistants effectively manhandled him to the measuring station, with the tailor herself brandishing a measuring tape while whirling about in a frenzy of activity.

Ciel’s single eye glinted with entertainment as he found a comfortable perch from which to observe the proceedings. Sebastian turned to a visibly relieved Alucard and gave him a critical once-over.

“If Ms. Hopkins’ sililoquies are any indication, perhaps we should also consider updating your own attire. A servant must complement his master after all.” Alucard examined his own suit and then Sebastian’s. 

“I quite agree,”

Sebastian nodded, “I’ll see what we can come up with later at the town house. You’re a bit taller and longer of limb than me, but not so much that my clothes can’t be adjusted,”

“I would be obliged,” Alucard murmured, returning the nod and refocusing on his master’s activities, now able to appreciate the unfolding drama since his earlier anxiety of being recognized had finally abated. 

The earl and two servants sported matching grins of hilarity as a predictable and inevitable squabble ensued.

“I do not wish to have lace cuffs protruding from my jacket sleeves nor for any of my ascots to be made of lace! I would look as though I’ve doilies bursting from within me!”

“Don’t be stupid!” Nina sneered in return. “Lace is all the rage right now, especially with the Viscount Druitt’s latest appearance at the March Festival!” 

“Well, I’m no Viscount!”

“ _That_ is readily apparent,” 

***

Abraham moaned in anguish as he rested his head on the cushioned interior of the carriage. Every muscle in his body ached and fumed, and he dimly wondered how women enjoyed such material things as getting new dresses, tailoring, fashion, tailoring, accessories, and tailoring. 

“Oh, do stop making such a fuss,” Ciel teased, “this will be a regular feature in your life as Director of the Queen’s Hellsing Organization. You may as well get used to it.”

“Goodness, but I thought she was going to strangle me with that satin tie. You know, that plaid green and purple monstrosity?”

“You mean you didn’t find it to be fetching?” Abraham snorted indulgently.

“I’m sure Ms. Hopkins did, and she can have it since she likes it so much. Find some other chap to strangle with it.”

Ciel outright laughed at that last remark and Abraham felt his lips twitch in response. The boy truly looked his age when he laughed like that, Abraham thought with a tinge of sadness.

What put you on this grim path in the first place, little earl?

“We will be at the town house shortly, anyhow, where you might find some respite from the hardships you suffered today,” Ciel lightly assured.

“I look forward to it,” Abraham sighed before nestling deeper into the luxurious padding of his seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That’s chapter 13, folks! Again, so sorry for the long update wait! Please, please, please tell me what you guys think! I love reading all of your responses even if I don’t always respond to them. Provide FEEDBACK! REVIEW! Next up is chapter 14, where we get a few more familiar faces thrown into the mix with a dash of villainy thrown in…


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